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Mycobacterium is a species of pathogenic bacteria responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB). The bacteria mainly attacks the lungs but also various parts of the human body such as the spine, kidneys and brain however these infections may not be infectious. Tuberculosis easily spreads from one individual to another through tiny microscopic droplets released into the air when one coughs or spits. It is one of the leading causes of deaths in the world ranking above HIA/AIDS infection with a total of 1,600,000 TB related deaths in 2017. Symptoms include fever, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats or a persistent cough.

In order to efficiently detect the presence of the tuberculosis pathogenic bacteria in a host, a target gene conserved in the genome of mycobacterium tuberculosis will be amplified. Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain is the most studied strain by scientists and has its entire genome sequenced. The gene pcaA on locus Rv0470c was selected as the target gene which functions as a cyclopropane mycolic acid synthase. It encodes an S-adenosyl methionine–dependent methyltransferase that catalyzes proximal cyclopropanation of α mycolate, the major mycolic acid subclass of the Mtb cell envelope.