13 Development of magnetometer immunoassay technology for the rapid and cost effective detection of endemic animal diseases and pathogens (zoonoses)

来自动物来源的食品的国际贸易非常密集。法规规定，动物产品的生产不受可能影响人类的人畜共患病的影响。食品生产商希望避免与其他动物疾病相关的成本。监管部门希望降低检测成本，特别是屠宰场的目测检查。基于最近完成的一个由TSB GRD资助的项目产生的坚实的科学和商业研究证据，该项目现在的目标是将MagSer(即人畜共患病和动物疾病的血清学测试)从原则证明(POP)发展为一套全面开发的用于筛查动物疾病和人畜共患病的分析仪器和套装。MagSer的新颖性和优势在于将顺磁颗粒(珠子)的免疫磁性捕获与高灵敏度磁强计仪器相结合，以检测和量化在珠子上捕获的抗体。主要的创新将是一种直接适用于猪血液中抗原特异性抗体检测的一次性测量技术，以及开发一种快速、低成本和简单的设备，可以在检测点用于筛查动物感染和检查疫苗接种的效果。化验开发工作计划在UWE的实验室进行，仪器和消耗品的开发以及化验集成和验证正在由Clarity Biosolutions Ltd.(CBL)进行。

International trading of food from animal sources is very intensive. Regulations decree that the production of animal products is free from zoonoses that can affect humans. Food producers wish to avoid the costs associated with other animal diseases. Regulatory authorities wish to reduce the cost of testing, especially visual inspection at slaughterhouses. Building on solid scientific and commercial research evidence resulting from a recently completed TSB GRD-funded project, this project now aims to take MagSer (i.e.a serology test for zoonoses and animal diseases) from Proof of Principle (PoP) to a fully developed instrument and suite of assays for screening animal diseases and zoonoses. The novelty and advantage of MagSer lies in the unique combination of immuno-magnetic capture of paramagnetic particles (beads) with highly sensitive magnetometer instrumentation to detect and quantify antibodies captured on the beads. The main innovations will be the a disposable measurement technology directly applicable to the measurement of antigen specific antibodies in pig's blood and the development of a rapid, low cost and simple device that can be used at point of test to screen animals for infections and check for efficacy of vaccination. Assay development work is planned at UWE's labs with instrument and consumable development and assay integration and validation being carried out by Clarity Biosolutions Ltd. (CBL).