Bead Based Immuno-PCR for Biowarfare Agent Detection

描述（由申请人提供）：我们病原体检测项目的总体目标是创建可现场部署的仪器和检测生物威胁的分析方法。最近使用一种致命微生物作为恐怖武器，使人们更加认识到对战争和恐怖的生物制剂不断保持警惕的重要性。我们目前面临的挑战是开发高度敏感和特异性的检测方法，以检测战争和恐怖生物制剂，这种检测方法可以在现场使用坚固耐用的便携式仪器快速进行。我们计划在我们的原型仪器中评估使用免疫pcr作为检测非核酸靶标的方法的可行性。现有的免疫pcr技术将适应与包括我们仪器核心的头处理流体系统兼容的磁颗粒格式。利用新墨西哥矿业与技术研究所的学术合作者提供的模型病原体，将检验基于珠状免疫pcr检测全细胞和非核酸细胞成分的能力。将测试在免疫pcr DNA标签中编码抗体身份的方法，如果成功，将使用我们的原型设备的多重检测阶段检查标签编码免疫pcr在单个样品中检测多种不同靶标的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of our pathogen detection program is to create field-deployable instruments and assays for the detection of biological threats. The recent use of a lethal microorganism as a weapon of terror has increased awareness of the importance of ceaseless vigilance against biological agents of warfare and terror. Our current challenge is to develop highly sensitive and specific assays for detection of biological agents of warfare and terror that can be performed rapidly in the field, on a rugged, portable instrument. We plan to evaluate the feasibility of using immuno-PCR as a method for detection of non-nucleic acid targets in our prototype instrument. Existing immuno-PCR techniques will be adapted to a magnetic particle format compatible with the bead-handling fluidics system that comprises the core of our instrument. The ability of bead-based immuno-PCR to detect whole cells and non-nucleic acid cell components will be examined using a model pathogen provided by academic collaborators at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Methods of encoding antibody identity in immuno-PCR DNA tags will be tested, and if successful, the ability of tag-encoded immuno-PCR to enable detection of a multiplicity of different targets in a single sample will be examined using the multiplex detection stage of our prototype device.