• Guide to Lab Services
• Lab Test Directory
• Critical Values
• Discontinued Tests
• Reference Ranges
• Specimen Collection
• Stat Testing
• Anatomic Pathology & Cytopathology
• Chemistry & Hematology
• Flow Cytometry
• Microbiology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Molecular Hematology
• Molecular Microbiology
• Molecular Pathology
• TissueTyping
• Molecular Hematology
• Referrals
• Tissue Typing
• Toxicology
• Transfusion Medicine

Molecular Diagnostics - Molecular Microbiology

The Molecular Microbiology Laboratory located at CLS' Diagnostic and Scientific Centre in the University Research Park and is an integral part of infectious diseases diagnostics in the Calgary Zone.  It provides advanced microbial and resistance detection, as well as bacterial specification and strain typing for outbreak purposes.

Molecular testing is currently the major platform for the detection of multiple bacterial pathogens including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Clostridium Difficile and Group A streptococcus.  As such, over 800 molecular tests are done per day.  In addition, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load testing and multiple resistance gene detection assays are used for improving clinical care of patients in the zone. 

Multiple platforms are currently used including real-time nucleic acid amplification using Genprobe APTIMA®, Abbott M2000®, and Cepheid SmartCycler® assays as well as gel based detection of amplicons, pulse field gel electrophoresis, random primed PCR assays for genetic analysis, PCR ribotyping, and sequencing of microbial genes.

Our Clients include all paitents with suspected infection in the Calgary zone as well as referral samples from other areas for specialized resistance gene detection and bacterial sequencing as well as the Southern Alberta Clinic for HIV for HIV viral load and sequencing if necessary.

The laboratory participates in clinical research, method development, and medical education programs through both U of C residency training programs and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

Staffing

Advanced testing requires a core of highly trained technical staff (all with undergraduate degrees and/or MLT certification), proficient in advanced molecular technologies, complex methodology, and with trouble-shooting, QA/QC, and method development skill sets. Laboratory current employs 3.7 FTE equivalent technical staff.

Contact

Laboratory Leader:

Dr. Deirdre Church MD, PhD, FRCPS
Tel:  (403) 770-3281
Fax:  (403) 770-3247


Postal Address:

Dr. D. Church
Calgary Laboratory Services
9, 3535 Research Road NW
Calgary, AB  T2L 2K8

Laboratory Services Laboratory Testing Guidelines Useful Links Patient Education Medical Professional Education

Careers CSF Collection Guidelines Blood Collection Guidelines Urine Collection Guidelines Body Fluid Collection Guidelines

Building Address: 3535 Research Road NW Calgary, Alberta T2L 2K8 Follow Us  Mailing Address: 9-3535 Research Road NW Calgary, Alberta T2L 2K8

If you are using Internet Explorer Version 6 or lower you will need to update your version for better performance. You can update your Internet Explorer to Version 7 or higher here.