Carl T. Wittwer

Carl T. Wittwer, MD, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Emeritus - Pathology

Board Certification

  • American Board of Pathology (Anatomic & Clinical)
  • American Board of Pathology (Anatomic & Clinical)

Research Interests

  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Molecular Genetics

Dr. Wittwer is currently the medical director of Immunologic Flow Cytometry at Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP), Salt Lake City, UT. In the early 1990s, he initiated molecular diagnostics at ARUP by forming its first molecular lab. From 2002 to 2012 he served as medical director of the Advanced Technology Group at ARUP. He currently signs out flow cytometry and high resolution molecular genetics cases by DNA melting. He is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology.

 In 1990, Dr. Wittwer co-founded BioFire Diagnostics, a company that has now grown to over 600 people and is located in the University of Utah Research Park. He is the primary inventor of the LightCycler® system, with over 10,000 units placed worldwide by Roche and served as Chairman of the Board from 2012-2014 until the company was acquired by BioMerrieux. In 2003, a portable version of the LightCycler, the R.A.P.I.D.® was selected as the real-time PCR platform for military defense against biologic weapons by the US government. Dr. Wittwer holds 37 US patents and their foreign equivalents. He received small business innovation awards in 1999 and 2002, the State of Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in 2003 and the IQLM Technical Advancement Award in 2005. Since 2003, he has directed the State of Utah Center of Excellence on “Homogeneous DNA Analysis”. The Center focuses on high-resolution DNA melting of PCR products, developing methods for genotyping (unlabeled probes, snapback primers, amplicon melting), mutation scanning, and sequence identity. The FilmArray is a BioFire Product that was FDA approved in 2011 for upper respiratory infection diagnosis. A one-hour sample-to-answer platform that indentifies 20 different respiratory pathogens, it is enjoying rapid commercialization as an easy-to-use, point of impact diagnostic platform. Additional FDA-approved panels on the FilmArray include identification of pathogens causing positive blood cultures and diarrhea. A meningities panel is under review by the FDA, and preclinical work for a pneumonia panel is underway.

Education History

Residency University of Utah School of Medicine
 Resident
University of Michigan
 MD
Doctoral Training Utah State University
 PhD
Utah State University
 BS
Undergraduate Middlebury College

Selected Publications

Patent

  1. Wittwer CT (2013). Primers for melting analysis. U.S. Patent No. 8.399.189. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  2. Wittwer CT (2013). Annealing curve analysis in PCR. U.S. Patent No. 8.343.754. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  3. Wittwer CT (2012). Methods and compositions related to continuous flow thermal gradient PCR. U.S. Patent No. 8.263.392. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  4. Wittwer CT (2012). Amplicon meltingt with saturation dyes. U.S. Patent No. 8.083.002. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  5. Wittwer CT (2011). Melting curve analysis with exponential background subtraction. U.S. Patent No. 8.068.992. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  6. Wittwer CT (2011). Homogeneous meltiplex hybridization analysis by color and Tm. U.S. Patent No. RE42,325. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  7. Wittwer CT (2010). Amplicon melting analysis with saturating dyes. U.S. Patent No. 77.803.551. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  8. Wittwer CT (2010). Genotyping by amplicon melting analysis. U.S. Patent No. 7.785.776. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  9. Wittwer CT (2010). Container for carrying out and monitoring biological processes. U.S. Patent No. 7.745.205. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  10. Wittwer CT (2010). System for fluorescence monitoring. U.S. Patent No. 7.670.832. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  11. Wittwer CT (2009). Amplicon melting analysis with saturation dyes. U.S. Patent No. 7.582.429. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  12. Wittwer CT (2009). Species identification by melting analysis of secondary structure of single stranded nucleic acids. U.S. Patent No. 7.524.632. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  13. Wittwer CT (2008). Amplicon melting with saturation dyes. U.S. Patent No. 7.387.887. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  14. Wittwer CT (2007). Characterization of single stranded nucleic acids by melting analysis of secondary strcture using double strand-specific nucleic acid dye. U.S. Patent No. 7.297.484. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  15. Wittwer CT (2007). Container for carrying out and monitoring biological processes. U.S. Patent No. 7.273.749. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  16. Wittwer CT (2007). Monitoring amplification with FRET probes. U.S. Patent No. 7.160.998. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  17. Wittwer CT (2007). System and method for fluorescence monitoring. U.S. Patent No. 7.081.226. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  18. Wittwer CT (2007). Method for rapid thermal cycling of biological samples. U.S. Patent No. 7.238.321. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  19. Wittwer CT (2004). Simultaneous screening and identification of sequence alterations from amplified target. U.S. Patent No. 6.753.141. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  20. Wittwer CT (2004). Multi-test analysis of real-time nucleic acid amplification. U.S. Patent No. 6.730.501. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  21. Wittwer CT (2004). Amplicon melting analysis with saturation dyes. U.S. Patent No. 038038. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  22. Wittwer CT (2004). Method for rapid thermal cycling of biological samples. U.S. Patent No. 6.787.338. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  23. Wittwer CT (2004). Characterization of single stranded nucleic acids by melting analysis of secondary structure using double strand-specific nucleic acid dye. U.S. Patent No. 0033518. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  24. Wittwer CT (2003). Genotyping by amplicon melting curve analysis. U.S. Patent No. 0165867. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  25. Wittwer CT (2003). Multi-test analysis for automated detection. U.S. Patent No. 0157498. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  26. Wittwer CT (2003). Single-labeled oligonucleotide probes for homogeneous nucleic acid sequence analysis. U.S. Patent No. 6.635.427. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  27. Wittwer CT (2003). Monitoring amplification with fret probes. U.S. Patent No. 0224434. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  28. Wittwer CT (2003). Multi-test analysis of real-time nucleic acid amplification. U.S. Patent No. 0465867. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  29. Wittwer CT (2003). Monitoring hybridization during PCR using SYBR Green I. U.S. Patent No. 6.569.627. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  30. Wittwer CT (2003). Method for quantification of an analyte. U.S. Patent No. 6.503.720. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  31. Wittwer CT (2002). DNA amplification using electrolyte conductance heating and temperature monitoring. U.S. Patent No. 0151039. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  32. Wittwer CT (2002). Monitoring hybridization during PCR. U.S. Patent No. 502323. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  33. Wittwer CT (2002). Automated analysis of real-time nucleic acid amplification. U.S. Patent No. 6.387.621. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  34. Wittwer CT (2002). Simultaneous screening and identification of sequence alterations from amplified target. U.S. Patent No. 0142300. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  35. Wittwer CT (2002). Homogeneous multiplex hybridization analysis by color and Tm. U.S. Patent No. 6.472.156. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  36. Wittwer CT (2001). Monitoring hybridization during PCR. U.S. Patent No. 726501. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  37. Wittwer CT (2001). Monitoring amplification of DNA during PCR. U.S. Patent No. 6.174.670. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  38. Wittwer CT (2001). Solution-based color compensation adjusted for temperature and electronic gains. U.S. Patent No. 6.197.520. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  39. Wittwer CT (2001). PCR method for nucleic acid quantification utilizing second or third order rate constants. U.S. Patent No. 6.232.079. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  40. Wittwer CT (2001). Method of quantification of an analyte. U.S. Patent No. 6.303.305. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  41. Wittwer CT (2001). Fluorescent donor-acceptor pair with low spectral overlap. U.S. Patent No. 6.245.514. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  42. Wittwer CT (2001). Method for FOR rapid thermal cycling of biological samples. U.S. Patent No. 0007759. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  43. Wittwer CT (2001). Systems and methods for monitoring for DNA amplification by fluorescence. U.S. Patent No. 727296. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  44. Wittwer CT (2001). System and method for monitoring PCR processes. U.S. Patent No. 729644. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  45. Wittwer CT (2000). System and method for carrying out and monitoring biological processes. U.S. Patent No. 333137. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  46. Wittwer CT (2000). Multiplex genotyping using fluorescent hybridization probes. U.S. Patent No. 6.140.054. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  47. Wittwer CT (2000). Monitoring hybridization during PCR. U.S. Patent No. 333136. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  48. Wittwer CT (1999). On-line DNA analysis system with rapid thermal cycling. U.S. Patent No. 5.935.522. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  49. Wittwer CT (1995). Automated Rapid Temperature Cycling Device (Hot Air Thermal Cycler). U.S. Patent No. 5.455.175. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.