Rapid identification of biological warfare agents using an instrument employing a light addressable potentiometric sensor and a flow-through immunofiltration-enzyme assay system

An instrument employing a light addressable potentiometric sensor and a flo w-through immunofiltration-enzyme assay system has been developed for the r apid and specific identification of biological warfare (BW) agents. The sys tem has been designed to assay for up to eight agents simultaneously and pr ovides an indication of the absence or presence of a threat within 15 min. Parameters affecting the mixing of the reagents within the instrument's flu idic lines were investigated and optimized. Measurements of blank samples a nd samples containing Bacillus subtilis spores in the concentration range o f 10(4) to 10(6) cfu/ml indicate the limit of detection (LOD) is 3 x 10(3) cfu/ml for B. subtilus. Although the LOD is higher than that of several tec hnologies currently under development, this instrument offers an immediate interim approach for addressing the need to rapidly detect biological warfa re agents in the field. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.