Inventors:
Scott Goebel - Ballston Spa NY, US
Maurice Harmon - Tannersville PA, US
Jim Tartaglia - North York, CA
William Lapps - Nazareth PA, US
Francois Pelloquin - Lyon, FR
Dennis Trent - Carbonniers, FR
International Classification:
C12Q001/70
C12Q001/68
C12P019/34
US Classification:
435/005000, 435/006000, 435/091200
Abstract:
The present invention relates to the detection of the presence of reverse transcriptase enzymatic activity in eukaryotic cell lines. Specifically, the present invention comprises a method for discriminating between endogenous reverse transcriptase activity in a substrate cell line (e.g., avian) used as substrates for the manufacture of biological products (including viral vaccines) from exogenous infectious retrovirus by using a combination of transmissibility assay (viral replication) and PBRT assay (RT-PCR). Appropriate levels of viral amplification and number of PCR cycles are determined and employed that permit detection of exogenous infectious RT activity but not endogenous RT activity.