Table 1. Target-spike levels used in the construction of each specimen panel.

The format of each panel was the same. Samples were spiked with different microbes to represent varying levels of DNA and RNA for subsequent NA extraction: +++ high spike (C_t 18 ± 1.5); ++ medium spike (C_t 26 ± 1.5); + low spike (C_t 35 ± 1.5);–no spike.

Sample	RNA-based microbe	DNA-based microbe
1	+	+++
2	-	-
3	-	+++
4	+++	-
5	-	+
6	-	-
7	+++	+
8	-	-
9	-	++
10	++	-