Portable tools for Monitoring of Marine Toxins and ensure consumer safety without animal-testing

Project of Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), MBio Diagnostics and SCIENION create

The Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast and MBio Diagnostics today announced that IGFS is using SCIENION technology for the manufacturing of portable immunoassay cartridges.
Professor Chris Elliott’s group at IGFS is currently using sciFLEXARRAYER technology to produce arrays in cartridges for the multiplexed detection of marine toxins utilizing the MBio portable SnapEsi® assay platform.

Marine toxins can have serious implications for both public health and the economy. As a result, routine monitoring for a number of recognized marine toxins in edible shellfish is a regulatory requirement in many areas worldwide. Animal-based assays have historically been used to indicate sample toxicity thus helping to ensure consumer safety. Ethical issues surround the use of these tests and sample analysis requires marine samples to be returned to land for analysis in specialized laboratories. In recent years there has been an increased focus on developing and adopting non animal-based methods. Moreover, approaches that could allow samples to be tested at sea are desirable because it could reduce the economic impact of returning contaminated produce to shore. MBio’s SnapEsi® System enables a solution that is an alternative to the animal-based tests. Its array format allows for multiplexed screening for targeted toxins whilst its small footprint facilitates operation outside of a conventional laboratory setup.

IGFS is using the sciFLEXARRAYER technology to spot some of their key reagents that allows them to run competitive immunoassays. “The sciFLEXARRAYER S5 gives superb accuracy, not only in terms of spot location but also volume. This really helps minimize assay %CV”, says Dr Terry McGrath of IGFS. “SCIENION has been very supportive. Their initial training was fantastic and they had a refresher session a few weeks later. This was great because it allowed us to get to know the instrument and come up with questions directly related to our needs.”

About IGFS
The Institute for Global Food Security is based at Queen’s University Belfast within the School of Biological Sciences. The Institute houses a suite of state-of-the-art laboratories, conducting cutting edge research into various topics ranging from soil & plant health through to food security. Since the inception of the UK’s first Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use in 2006, the work of the Institute has become internationally-recognized for its excellence in research and teaching.  Over time the Institute has focused even more intently on its core founding principles, resulting in rebranding to become the Institute for Global Food Security. The Institute for Global Food Security will be a key partner in national and global efforts to provide the world’s growing population with a sustainable, safe and secure supply of high quality food.   

About MBio Diagnostics
MBio Diagnostics, Inc. (www.mbiodx.com) is a privately held diagnostics and life sciences company based in Boulder, CO, USA. The MBio Diagnostics platform delivers laboratory quality, multiplexed biological assays in a device format that combines speed, simplicity, and portability.  MBio is developing technologies for human in vitro diagnostics, food, environmental, and industrial applications.

About SCIENION AG
SCIENION AG and its US subsidiary SCIENION US, Inc. provide systems and services for the contact-free printing of biological and chemical agents for diagnostics, pharmaceutics, veterinary, plant and food analytics and research. Addressing the dynamically increasing needs for miniaturization and multiplex analyses, SCIENION offers a unique technology portfolio that has been continuously expanded over one decade. SCIENION provides flexible solutions for research and development whereas solutions for production purposes are rather customized. Systems and software are characterized by their versatility, precision and robustness. The company is renowned specialist for ultra low volume liquid handling, particularly for the handling of precious and sensitive compounds of biological or chemical origin. SCIENION’s dispensers allow for contact-free and precise drop spotting in the pico- to micro-liter range and are optimally suited for microarray based analytics – such as for tests with DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, antibodies, glycans or for dispensing cells onto various substrates. The company operates from two sites in Germany, Dortmund and Berlin, and has a subsidiary in New Jersey, USA.


Contact
SCIENION AG
Almut Gebhard
Otto-Hahn-Str. 15
D-44227 Dortmund
Phone: +49 (0)30 - 6392 1700
Fax: +49 (0)30 - 6392 1701
gebhard@scienion.com
www.scienion.com


Institute for Global Food Security
Queen's University Belfast
Terry McGrath
18-30 Malone Road
Belfast, BT9 5BN
Tel +44 (0) 28 90976514
Fax +44 (0) 28 90976513
Email: terry.mcgrath@qub.ac.uk
www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/InstituteforGlobalFoodSecurity


MBio Diagnostics, Inc
Chris Myatt
5603 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 1
Boulder, CO 80303
USA
Phone: 303-952-2815
chris.myatt@mbiodx.com
mbiodx.com