FIGURE 1.

A new scheme for the MRSA directly clinical sample detection, designed to circumvent deficits in commercially available assays. Primers for the initial long range (LR) PCR are located in the orfX and mecA genes (green and blue arrows respectively) and contain tail sequences (indicated by purple and red lines) that are unique, and function as templates for Round 2 primers (indicated by purple and red arrows). Primer SA-3e is biotin labeled (brown crescent), allowing the LR-PCR product to be captured by streptavidin coated magnetic beads (black orb), and concentrated/purified. The Round 2 real-time PCR reactions are detected with probes specific to SA’s orfX (green orb) and mecA (blue orb).