PositiveID releases groundbreaking new biothreat detector
PositiveID Corporation recently unveiled its new Multiplex BioThreat Assay, which the company says is the first of its kind; according to PostiveID, its latest device is the first commercially available detector that can diagnose up to six bio-threat organisms in the Centers for Disease Control’s category A and B lists in a far shorter time than existing methods
PositiveID Corporation recently unveiled its new Multiplex BioThreat Assay, which the company says is the first of its kind.
According to PostiveID, its latest device is the first commercially available detector that can diagnose up to six bio-threat organisms in the Centers for Disease Control’s category A and B lists in a far shorter time than existing methods.
In a release the company said, “Currently available methods require more sample, are generally more costly and not amenable to high-throughput analyses.”Additionally, the new multiplex assay can generate test results for up to six organisms in as little as thirty minutes compared to the several hours or more that it takes to test multiple samples using conventional methods.
The breakthrough is largely the result of technology PositiveID acquired in its purchase of MicroFluidic Systems (MFS). Using sixteen unique genomic and plasmid signatures, the BioThreat Assay kit confirms the presence or absence of an organism.
The company explained, “The proprietary multicolor combinatorial approach allows a user to rapidly screen a biological sample for the presence of five bacteria and one virus in only three simultaneous reactions, whereas a traditional singleplex method would require 16 reactions to accomplish the identical task.”
This approach helps to reduce cost by running the tests simultaneously rather than running them one by one.
The new biothreat test is capable of detecting six different deadly organisms including anthrax, plague, Tularemia, and Small Pox.
The company plans to target public health and university labs.
“As we begin to market our MBA to the more than 100 public health and university labs that test for these pathogens, we believe that our fully customizable MBA will provide more investigative screening power at a lower cost than competitor products,” said Lyle Probst, the co-developer of the device and the senior director of Programs at MFS. “Most labs currently test with singleplex assays or multiplex assays that are only two to three signatures deep. Our innovative multiplex assay tests for six organisms with 16 signatures across only three reactions, providing a research, screening and monitoring tool that, we believe, will save labs considerable time and money.”
