New tests and automated platform promise to increase efficiency, produce faster results, expand mass screening capabilities, and reduce costs
Bio-Rad Laboratories has announced the creation of a complete solution for automated BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease) testing.
This highly scalable platform is the first testing system of its kind, providing both screening and confirmation testing capabilities all in one package, and will enable laboratories to reduce staffing costs and increase the speed and security of testing.
Full roll-out for Bio-Rad's BSE automation solution is expected in the coming months. Bio-Rad's complete system for BSE testing features a second-generation screening test that is well suited for automation.
To complement this, the system also includes the first commercially available Western Blot confirmation test sensitive enough to be used for verification of initial screening results.
It is perfectly suited for use with Bio-Rad's first- and second-generation BSE screening tests.
The new confirmatory test can also produce results in just one day, whereas the traditional confirmatory method, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), can be expensive and take two to three days to complete. "Bio-Rad is continuously working to improve today's current testing methods.
It is our goal to meet the needs of the broadest range of clients and to ensure the quickest, most efficient and reliable method in preventing BSE from entering the human food chain," said Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad's vice president and group manager of life science.
"With the introduction of the new test system we have entered the next phase of BSE detection by offering testing facilities around the globe with the most complete, reliable and efficient testing method to date." In 2001, Bio-Rad delivered seven million orders for its Platelia BSE test kit, claiming it is the most widely used BSE screening method in the world due to its speed, ease of use, and high level of sensitivity in detecting BSE. Bio-Rad says its test is two to three times more effective than other BSE tests in detecting the disease and, consequently, preventing infected animals from entering the food chain. Bio-Rad's new automated BSE testing platform features preloaded microplates and alert systems for quality control, and enables laboratory personnel to regulate the entire test process.
