The GenMark ePlex®: another weapon in the syndromic arsenal for infection diagnosis

Future Microbiol. 2018 Dec;13(16):1697-1708. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2018-0258. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Abstract

As one of the most recent additions to the syndromic testing landscape, the ePlex® platform by GenMark Diagnostics is a system that combines the manufacturer's signature electrochemical detection technology with updated microfluidics, providing a new option for multiplex testing that is both rapid and requires minimal hands-on steps. In this review, we detail the ePlex platform and its current/future syndromic panels, with a particular focus on the respiratory pathogen panel - the platform's first assay to undergo clinical trials and receive regulatory approval in the USA. By keeping informed of these ever-expanding laboratory options, clinicians and microbiologists can stay positioned at the forefront of infectious disease diagnosis.

Keywords: GenMark; ePlex; multiplex molecular testing; respiratory pathogen panel; syndromic infection testing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / instrumentation
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / methods*
  • Drug Resistance / genetics
  • Humans
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / instrumentation
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
  • Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / diagnosis*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / microbiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology
  • United States
  • United States Food and Drug Administration