Ideal conditions for the cultivation of cannabis can also be ideal for the infection and proliferation of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, mold, and yeast. These living organisms are much too small to be visible with the naked eye. If cannabis products are not properly screened, they may be contaminated with a variety of harmful pathogens. Ingestion and/or inhalation of which can lead to serious illness, health complications or accelerated degradation of product.
Green Scientific Lab is able to identify and quantify pathogenic microorganisms using qPCR, DNA microarrays, and standard plating techniques.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology utilizes natural mechanisms to amplify specific genes of interest so they are detectable and labels the DNA with fluorescent probes to detect the presence of a pathogen’s DNA. This method is the gold standard due to its low quantification limit, and small amount of starting material required. qPCR is often used to confirm results if you choose to test with microarray.
DNA microarray platforms are flexible, highly sensitive, and very specific. DNA microarrays contain a defined pattern of single-stranded (ssDNA) probes arranged in a grid and immobilized to a planar surface. These probe sequences, similar to qPCR probes, are complementary to the target sequence being analyzed. Consider microarray testing if you are looking for an affordable and robust solution. In comparison to traditional plate-based diagnostics (USP 61 / USP 62) and qPCR, the overall cost from sample collection to identification is significantly lower.
USP 61 & USP 62 are standard plating methods. USP 61 is used to determine total aerobic microbial count and total yeasts and molds counts, while USP 62 is performed to test for the presence of specified microorganisms: S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridia species and bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria.