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IGFS, MBio, Scienion Combine Technologies for Marine Toxin Monitoring

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The Institute for Global Food Security, MBio Diagnostics, and Scienion today announced they will combine their technologies to create tools to monitor marine toxins.

IGFS is using Scienion's technology to manufacture portable immunoassay cartridges, and Chris Elliott's group at IGFS is currently using SciFlexarrayer technology to produce arrays in cartridges for the multiplexed detection of marine toxins using MBio's portable SnapEsi assay platform. IGFS is using the SciFlexarrayer technology to spot key reagents to run competitive immunoassays.

The partners said that because marine toxins can pose serious threats to public health and the economy, many locales require that a number of recognized marine toxins be monitored. Animal-based assays have been used for such purposes, but ethical issues surrounding their use, as well as the need to transport marine samples to land for sample analysis, has recently focused efforts on developing new methods that don't call for animal-based assays.

The SnapEsi assay allows for multiplexed screening for targeted toxins and its small footprint facilitates its use outside of a conventional laboratory setting, the partners said.

Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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