Patent ID: 9206396
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
1. A method for quantifying infectious particles of a virus in a sample, the method comprising: 1) providing a layer of host cells of the virus, 2) contacting the layer of host cells with a preparation of the sample, and culturing the cells under conditions wherein the cells are submerged in a thin layer of liquid culture medium, and wherein the virus infects host cells and releases its progeny from said infected host cells, 3) imposing a unidirectional or two-dimensional flow of the liquid medium when the cells are being cultured under the thin layer of liquid medium, wherein the spread of the viral progeny to uninfected host cells is enhanced, wherein infected host cells develop an observable indication of viral gene expression which is a comet-shaped plaque, and 4) observing and quantifying the number of plaques in the layer of host cells thereby determining the number of infected host cells, whereby the number of infectious particles of the virus in the sample is quantified.