At present bacteria, fungi, or viruses can generally only be detected with certainty by way of elaborate lab tests or animal experiments. The food and pharmaceutical industries would like to have faster tests to check their products.
The Fraunhofer “Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology” or referred to as IGB www.igb.fraunhofer.de/en.html in Stuttgart, is developing a stick referred to as “ImmuStick to rapidly and cost effectively identify bacteria, fungi, viruses, germs or allergies.
“The ImmuStick could be used for blood analysis”, reports Dr Anke Burger-Kentischer Project Manager. We are currently testing further immune receptors that are specific for other pyrogens or germs which can often lead to blood poisoning which can be dire for intensive care patients. It is also conceivable that the stick could be used to test products for allergens.”
Pyrogens or germs become a problem when hygiene is of particular importance such as in intensive care wards and for people with weakened immune systems. Frequently, tests are carried out and the surfaces of machines or medical devices are tested for pyrogens using swabs.
A widely used standard test is the detection of LPS, a structure present in the membrane of certain bacteria. The problem is that currently this test can take up to two hours to perform and other pyrogens or germs can sometimes only be detected in animal experiments.
IGB researchers are looking to work together with industrial partners to develop ImmuStick into a product and then further develop the ImmuStick so it will be ready for the market place, reports Burger-Kentischer.
Email Dr. Claudia Vorbeck at Claudia.vorbeck@igb.fraunhofer.de or call +49 711 970-4031 for more information.