LYNNTECH INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II: 8.5

Description

A leading public health problem affecting individuals world-wide is food poisoning. Pathogen contamination of post-harvest food sources is a major health issue. There is a wealth of information and data that indicate that the occurrence of infectious gastrointestinal diseases is globally on the rise; and that food-borne pathogens can readily adapt to environmental changes, contributing significantly to this escalation. In addition, there are major challenges in the development of timely and economical methods to identify pathogens from food samples suspected of causing these illnesses. Lynntech is developing an Adaptable, Label-free, Affordable, Rapid, Mobile (ALARM) system that will detect genomic nucleic acids purified from select pathogens responsible for food-related diseases. The ALARM technology is designed to be an integrated system that will perform pathogen nucleic acid amplification, as well as target detection using an innovative, field-ready, mobile system.Lynntech has established a highly innovative method to detect multiple genomic loci from each of three select food-borne pathogens using convective PCR. The three pathogens are: Salmonella species (spp.), Campylobacter spp., and E. coli (STEC). During Phase I, we successfully developed a multiplex convective PCR assay using primers specific for two loci within the genomes of each of the three bacterial pathogens. In addition, we included a single primer pair specific for an independent locus that serves as our internal positive control (IPC). Amplification of the IPC tells the user that the reaction is functioning properly. This represented a 7-plex convective amplification assay. In addition, Lynntech has developed and optimized a detection system that allows us to identify the convective PCR products in an economical, portable, label-free manner. This is a FET-based system that will signal if the pathogen is present in the food sample. If the food source is not contaminated, then there will be no signal. The IPC will signal for all reactions. Notably, both our multiplex convective amplification reaction and our FET-based detection system require low power, thus providing portability to the system.During Phase II, we will optimize amplification and detection. We will integrate these modules into a single system to detect food-borne pathogens at the point-of-use (in the field). By doing so, the Lynntech ALARM system will provide the global community with a rapid, portable, label-free means to detect pathogens responsible for food-related illnesses. This device will require minimal user training and will be applicable to the detection of multiple pathogens from a variety of food-related matrices. The Lynntech ALARM system will be applicable to both deliberate and unintentional contamination of food sources. Given the increasing incidence of food-related diseases throughout the world, the market potential for the Lynntech ALARM system is significant.