The DHS Directorate of Science and Technology, Chemical and Biological Defense Division (CBD) has announced intentions to award a contract to Radix Biosolutions for the further development and validation of multiplex tests for biothreat agents.
The work to be performed under this contract is the completion and validation of the BoNT assays, and development of an SEB multiplex assay for several serotypes of Staphylococcal endotoxins (A, B, C, D, etc.).
Within the DHS Surveillance and Detection R&D Program, the BioAssays Project fosters the development of assays to improve the ability to identify and characterize biothreat agents. The goal is to develop highly reliable assays for selected biothreat agents to provide DHS S&T management with high confidence assay results.
The completed platform of assays will be ideal for distributed identification of toxin antigens, and the first assay developed has already been demonstrated as the most specific and sensitive assay for ricin available. The proposed contractor has filed patents on the methods, algorithms, and reagents, and is currently working on validation of a similar assay for all seven Botulinum neurotoxin serotypes which has been under development for two years.
Radix Biosolutions is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas.
Source: FBO.gov
