Bacterial and fungal infections: evolving towards molecular pathogen diagnostics

A quick diagnosis of infectious diseases can advance treatment efficiency, and thus contribute to a more favourable course of disease. This dissertation focuses on the improvement of current diagnostic methods that are applied for the recognition of bacterial and fungal pathogenic agents in patient samples such as blood and urine. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used as a molecular technique for the detection and identification of clinically relevant bacteria and fungi out of various patient materials among which positive blood media. The implementation of such new tests enables a quick analysis (within one work day), as opposed to conventional medium-based methods