TEST FOR VEROTOXIC E COLI TO PREVENT FOODBORNE INFECTION

VTEC食源性感染的发病率 在过去的十年里显著增加，并威胁到 数百万人的健康。快速、准确和敏感的 食品和动物中VTEC的检测对控制VTEC至关重要 疾病。 蒙大拿州免疫科技公司已经证明了使用 免疫磁分离技术，在一次测试中捕获 并从肉类中鉴定出VTEC的毒性。测试速度快(3-6小时) 并具有每克100至1000 VTEC的检测水平。该计划的目标是 第二阶段SBIR项目是通过以下方式完善分析：(A)开发和 加强VTEC特异性抗原检测的检测试剂 因素和(B)开发一种自动化的检测方法 化验。具体地说，O体细胞抗体的配方 抗原和VTEC特异的细胞表面和维罗毒素粘附素将 用于加强对VTEC生物体和维罗毒素的捕获 收获和收获后的肉类、废水和粪便样本。 在检测VTEC时使用原型分析试剂盒的方案 来自牛的收获前和收获后的样本将在 牛群和屠宰场的田间条件。麻省理工学院正在工作 有两家诊断公司对商业化感兴趣。 建议的商业应用 二期SBIR需要完善的技术/产品具有 在食品工业、医疗和医疗领域具有广泛的应用潜力 兽医界，以及与 水质。VTEC诊断化验的市场估计 每年3亿美元，这种检测方法的使用将 有效降低VTEC引起的腹泻病发病率。 两家主要的诊断公司正在探索许可作为一种诊断 化验。

The incidence of food-borne infections with verocytotoxic E. coli (VTEC) has increased significantly over the past decade and threatens the health of millions of persons. The rapid, accurate, and sensitive detection of VTEC in food and animals is paramount to the control of the disease. Montana ImmunoTech has demonstrated the feasibility of using immunomagnetic separation technology that, in a single test, captures and identifies verotoxic VTEC from meat. The test is rapid (3-6 hours) and has a detection level of 100 to 1000 VTEC per gram. The aims of the Phase II SBIR project is to perfect the assay by (a) developing and testing reagents that enhance the detection VTEC-specific antigenic factors and (b) developing a detection assay for automation of the assay. Specifically, formulations of antibodies against O somatic antigens and VTEC-specific cell surface and verotoxin adhesins will be employed to enhance capture of VTEC organisms and verotoxins from pre- harvest and post-harvest meat, waste water and fecal specimens. Protocols for the use of a prototype assay kit in detecting VTEC in both pre- and post-harvest specimens from cattle will be evaluated under field conditions in cattle herds and slaughterhouses. MIT is working with two diagnostic firms interested in commercialization. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION The technology/product to be perfected in the Phase II SBIR has the potential for worldwide applications in the food industry, medical and veterinary community, as well as regulatory agencies concerned with water quality. The market for the VTEC diagnostic assay is estimated at 300 million dollars annually and the uses of the assay will effectively diminish the incidence of diarrheal diseases caused by VTEC. Two major diagnostic firms are exploring licensing as a diagnostic assay.