Microorganisms Identified by Microbial Detection Array in 24 Hours

A microbial detection array provides scientists with the capability of identifying pathogens over the entire range of known viruses and bacteria.

The array detects microorganisms with the use of 388,000 probes that fit in a checkerboard pattern in the middle of a 2.54-cm wide, 7.62-cm long glass slide. It will be useful for medical professionals diagnosing diseases, regulatory agencies checking product safety, and law enforcement authorities seeking to detect bioterrorism attacks.

The current operational version of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLMD; Livermore, CA, USA) detection array (LLMDA) contains probes that can detect more than 2,000 viruses and about 900 bacteria. Scientists will be able to detect all known bacterial and viral pathogens in comparison to current multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques that can at best offer detection from among 50 organisms in one test.

In an online article on April 7, 2010, in the Journal of Virology, Livermore investigators working with a scientist from the Blood Systems Research Institute (San Francisco, CA, USA) said that they used the LLMDA technology to confirm the presence of an apparently benign pig virus in a vaccine. The pig virus, porcine circovirus-1 (PCV-1), was unexpectedly found in GlaxoSmithKline's (Brentford, UK) Rotarix vaccine, which is used to prevent diarrhea in babies.

"The ability to detect the major bacterial and viral components of any sample can be used in countless different ways," said Tom Slezak, LLNL's associate program leader for Informatics. "This is important because it fills a cost-performance gap that is relevant to many missions: biodefense, public health, and product safety."

Related Links:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Blood Systems Research Institute
GlaxoSmithKline