Inhibition of Stachybotrys DNA
In my November 14, 2017 post I commented that some of the homes I have inspected appear to have elevated levels of Stachybotrys chartarum coming into the home from an outdoor source.
During the last month I have collected a number of outdoor samples from around a couple of these homes. The analysis revealed a surprising result! Something in these samples was preventing the DNA from being identified.
The condition is known as inhibition. It is sometimes encountered by laboratories performing DNA analysis for crime scenes or medical diagnostics. In these cases the laboratory can frequently purify the DNA and separate out the inhibitor so the sample can be analysed.
An important part of the research into discovering outdoor sources of Stachybotrys will be to discover what types of inhibitors can interfere with mold specific DNA sample results. Your support is helping to unravel these mysteries.
Thank you for your contribution!
John Banta