Molecular (nucleic acid)-based diagnostics tests have many advantages over immunoassays, particularly with regard to sensitivity and specificity. Most on-site diagnostic tests, however, are immunoassay-based because conventional nucleic acid-based tests (NATs) require extensive sample processing, trained operators, and specialized equipment. To make NATs more convenient, especially for point-of...

The use of nucleic acid-based vaccines is a novel approach to immunization that elicits immune responses similar to those induced by live, attenuated vaccines. Administration of nucleic acid vaccines results in the endogenous generation of viral proteins with native conformation, glycosylation profiles, and other posttranslational modifications that mimic antigen produced during natural viral i...