PRESS RELEASE

Matrix MicroScience Has Gained AOAC-RI Approval for its "Pathatrix® Salmonella 10 Pooling Test Kit"

Matrix MicroScience of Newmarket UK & Golden CO, has gained AOAC-RI approval (Cert No 090302C) for its novel Salmonella Pathatrix® "10 Pooling" product.

Pathatrix® 10 Pooling is unique in that it relies on "post-enrichment pooling" as opposed to conventional pre-enrichment sample compositing, the key point being that the Pathatrix® pooling approach maintains 100% sample integrity. A number of significant benefits that the Pathatrix® Pooling Strategy provides to all microbiological laboratories can be summarised;

• Increased sample throughput i.e. up to 10 times
• 90% cost savings associated with end point detection e.g. PCR
• Significant labour savings i.e. >80%
• Compatible with a wide range of end point detection technologies
• Post enrichment pooling maintains original sample integrity 100%

The Pathatrix® Pooling principle relies on the pooling of either 10 x 5 ml or 10 x 25 ml sub-samples to create a single 50 ml (mini-ULTRA Format) or 250 ml (ULTRA format) wet composite sample, which can be analysed by a range of end point detection technologies. In this way negative samples can be screened out very efficiently and if a positive pooled sample is obtained then the original post enriched samples, where complete sample integrity has been maintained, can be very quickly re-analysed to achieve rapid results. This can be a very effective tool for investigating contamination incidents and/or positive release scenarios.

As the majority of companies find that 99+% of all routine food samples tested for pathogens are negative this new technique offers great opportunities for cost savings, increased laboratory efficiency or the ability to increase the number of sample tested with the current laboratory facilities. For example a company who carries out approximately 100 Salmonella tests per day can reduce this to just 10 samples using the "10 pooling" test format.

Dr Adrian Parton, C.E.O. of Matrix MicroScience said, "We are excited by the latest Salmonella 10 pooling AOAC-RI approval that builds on our existing range of Pathatrix® 5 Pooling products. Once again we are showing leadership in our industry to provide our customers with rapid, cost effective products, without compromising sensitivity".

Pathatrix® is the only high volume IMS system commercially available. For more information contact us

Matrix is a highly innovative company focused on the development of diagnostics for the rapid detection of food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp. E.sakazakii, MAP and E.coli O157. Matrix has achieved eight AOAC RI approvals for a range of its products. Matrix MicroScience is an international organization with offices, research and production facilities in Newmarket, UK and Golden CO in the USA.

Background Notes for Editors

1. Pathatrix®- Launched in 2002, the Pathatrix® system requires less than two minutes hands-on time per test and utilises a proven technology, which can be adopted in any microbiology laboratory, with the minimum of retraining. Viable cultures are produced during the test allowing full and detailed analysis of any positive results.

Pathatrix® is unique in that it is the only microbial detection system that can analyse the entire 225ml + 25g sample simultaneously by re-circulating the sample through a "capture phase" where the antibody coated magnetic beads are immobilised.

A standard 25g food sample is homogenised with 225ml of growth media in a stomacher. Pathatrix® capture reagent, which consists of antibody coated magnetic particles specific to the target pathogen, are then added directly to the sample. The sample is loaded onto the Pathatrix® workstation using a Matrix proprietary consumable pack, connecting the sample to the circulatory system in preparation for the Capture-Culture step.

Once loaded, the Pathatrix® workstation is typically pre-programmed to run for 30 minutes at the desired incubation temperature. Upon completion of the run, the target microorganisms are bound onto the phase by the capture reagent. Residual debris and non-specific binding are removed during a single wash step.

The capture phase is disconnected from the system and the capture reagent/pathogen complexes are eluted by washing the phase into a vessel. The captured pathogen complexes are then concentrated into a small volume. The sample can be plated directly onto selective media and incubated overnight for visualization the following morning or be directly analyzed by PCR for a very rapid result.

There are a variety of Pathatrix® tests that enable results to be obtained within as little as 4 hrs to 24 hrs from point of sample to result.

2. PATHATRIX Pooling

Pathatrix® 10 pooling involves taking 5 or 25 ml sub-samples from 10 individual samples, pooling them to create either a 50 ml (mini-ULTRA format) or 250 ml ULTRA format) wet composite sample which can then be analyzed by a single Pathatrix® run (see figure below). If the sample is "positive" the original individual samples can be re-tested separately by Pathatrix® to determine which sample(s) is/are positive. However if the wet composite sample is shown to be negative no further analysis of the 10 original samples is required.

Thus the Pathatrix® 10 pooling approach can be used as a rapid and cost effective screen for all samples.