Government funds UK consortium to develop foot and mouth field test based on Stratophase biodetection technology

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Issue Date: 4th December 2008

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Government funds UK consortium to develop foot and mouth field test based on Stratophase biodetection technology

Biochemical measurement and detection experts Stratophase are to lead a project to develop a direct immunoassay system for the detection of foot and mouth disease. The government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board will co-fund the £1 million development of the system, which will enable inspectors, and ultimately vets or farmers, to quickly identify the infection on the spot, reducing both false alarms and containment time.

The collaborative project will bring together teams from Stratophase, the University of Cambridge, Bristol Industrial and Research Associates Limited and Chelsea Technologies Group.

The new detector system, the Portable Direct Immunoassay Diagnosis Device for Animals and Humans (PDIDDAH), will be significantly more sensitive and accurate than the field deployable antibody based lateral flow tests presently available. Laboratory based techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are currently the most commonly used but, although they are highly sensitive, processing (sample transport, analysis and results) can take several days or even weeks.

Half of the project’s £1million budget will fund the further development of Stratophase's unique patented SpectroSens sensor chip technology. The sensor system being developing will collect pathogens from the air and put them into a liquid stream. The liquid will then be analysed ‘in the field’ using the SpectroSens optical detectors. The optical chips are coated with antibodies designed to attract specific antigens. When a targeted agent sticks to the surface, the chip undergoes a minute change in optical spectrum, confirming the presence (or absence) of the disease.

Dr Devaki Bhatta, project leader from Stratophase, said, “One of the most important developments that will be realised in this system is the ability to collect and identify airborne pathogens. This will remove the need for swabs and blood samples. This project is to develop a foot and mouth detection unit but using different antibodies the system could be used to identify TB and a range of other serious illnesses that affect livestock.”

Dr Richard Williams, CEO of Stratophase Ltd, said, “The Technology Strategy Board investment will enable us to develop a practical solution much faster than would otherwise have been feasible. This technology could be mass-produced fairly inexpensively; every livestock owner could have one. This funding is another great endorsement of our unique biochemical measurement and detection technique.”

Initially developed for counter-bioterrorism applications, the SpectroSens technology has also proved to be well suited to pharmaceutical manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, industrial process control and drug discovery applications.

ENDS

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