Seattle-based AttoDx, Inc., has signed an exclusive license agreement for molecular viabilitiy testing technology developed at the University of Washington and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute.\u00a0The technology was developed by Gerard Cangelosi, PhD, affiliate member of Seattle BioMed and affiliate associate professor in U-Washington’s departments of global health & epidemiology. Cangelosi’s research seeks to reduce exposure to infectious diseases by using biomarker discovery and point-of-care diagnostics to improve case finding, improving detection of pathogens in water, and improving the understanding of infectious disease epidemiology.<\/p>\n
Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fast, sensitive, and specific method to detect microorganisms in samples, widespread use is limited by its inability to distinguish viable pathogen cells from dead cells and free nucleic acid fragments, Cangelosi points out. “We have shown that PCR tests for ribosomal RNA precursors (pre-rRNA) can overcome this problem,” he explains. “We are developing pre-rRNA tests for pathogen detection in environmental as well as clinical samples.” The lab also is using environmental pathogens as models to understand the emergence of new infectious diseases in humans.<\/p>\n
AttoDx, which is developing and commercializing pathogen detection and lab-on-a-chip products, expects this technology to be a key element in the development of rapid pathogen detection products in medicine, food and water safety, and the environment.<\/p>\n