August 12, 2010
UK research develops simple testing for in-feed antibiotics
Fast, simple testing for antibiotics in animal feeds may soon be possible on the farm, according to research conducted by the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) in the UK.
The project-funded by Defra-demonstrated that technology developed by Universal Sensors offers high sensitivity while using low-cost equipment, making it an alternative to conventional laboratory-based antibiotic detection. A rapid test at the point-of-use would allow a more effective response to a positive (non-compliant) sample to be actioned.
In-feed antibiotics are banned in the EU and the ban is upheld by routine testing, but current methods are slow and expensive. The results demonstrated that the VantixTM biosensor has the potential to detect a wide range of antimicrobial growth promoters in animal feed and generate the results in less than an hour. The bioassay developed can be used as both a rapid laboratory-based procedure or as a portable field test for simultaneous measurement of up to 12 samples.
Researchers said that the results were important as it demonstrated how existing assays can be moved out of the lab and into the field, creating the potential for rapid screening.
The Vantix biosensor employs single use screen-printed electrodes. The use of disposable electrodes overcomes one of the limitations of previous electrochemical biosensors, which suffered from electrode fouling by previous samples. The procedure requires basic equipment and non-toxic solvents. Existing ELISA assays can easily be migrated on to the Vantix platform offering the potential to make a laboratory-based test available on a portable device.