Ebola virionsWikipedia, CDCScientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TBRI) have created a fast and efficient way of developing tests for potential bioterror agents. The technique, published today (November 5) in Scientific Reports, quickly identifies antibodies that recognize bacterial toxins or viral proteins in a few days, using simple equipment found in most facilities around the world.
This technique is “more suitable for resource limited laboratories” than traditional methods that require expensive equipment like chromatography systems, said Kim Janda, a chemist from the Scripps Research Institute, who was not involved in the study. “I think it will find ample use in other laboratories in the future.”
Currently, to find antibodies that recognize potential biological threats—a key step towards developing effective diagnostics—scientists start with a large panel of possible antibodies, and gradually isolate those that recognize a given target. It is a laborious process—each round of screening can identify hundreds of antibodies, which have to be individually purified using large cultures and expensive equipment like chromatography systems. The whole process can take months.
“I was faced with this dilemma of deconvoluting hundreds of ...
