PCR和杂交等分子生物学方法显著降低了 检测水性病原体所需的时间长度。对一些水上特工来说 与诺如病毒一样，PCR和杂交检测是唯一可靠的检测方法。 PCR技术的优势为将这些检测方法应用于临床带来了新的问题 检测水传播病原体。这些问题包括但不限于:样品携带 污染、检测潜在活性剂的困难以及优化的困难 一种检测每个反应中超过1个病原体或基因靶标的方法。基因芯片技术 现在被广泛报道为克服其中一些不足的解决方案。作者的 本文中的研究强调了使用这种方法的优点和缺点 相对较新的分子生物学技术。 文章最后提出了几点建议 该方法可能会得到改进，使其成为一个更可靠的检测系统 速度、特异性和敏感性，最终用户更容易执行。包括17个参考文献、图表。

Molecular biology methods such as PCR and hybridization have significantly decreased the length of time required for the detection of waterborne pathogens. For some waterborne agents like noroviruses, PCR and hybridization assays are the only reliable methods for their detection. The advantages gained by PCR have introduced new problems for applying these assays to detect waterborne pathogens. These problems include, but are not limited to: sample carryover contamination, difficulty in detecting potentially viable agents, and the difficulty in optimizing an assay to detect more than 1 pathogen or gene target per reaction. Gene chip technology is now being widely reported as the solution for overcoming some of these shortfalls. The authors' research that is presented in this paper highlights both the benefits and drawbacks of using this relatively new molecular biology technique. It concludes with several recommendations on how this method might be improved so that it becomes a more robust assay system in terms of speed, specificity and sensitivity and easier for end users to perform. Includes 17 references, figures.