PRESS RELEASE

Matrix MicroScience launches COLORTRIX® AUTO at European IAFP Meeting in Dublin

Matrix MicroScience of Newmarket, UK launches COLORTRIX® AUTO at the European IAFP June 2010 conference in Dublin; it will also be featured at the forth coming Annual IAFP conference in Anaheim this August.

COLORTRIX® AUTO is a rapid end-point detection option that has been fully integrated into the PATHATRIX® AUTO protocols to provide a rapid screening technology.

The target pathogen is captured by the antibody coated magnetic beads in the standard PATHATRIX® AUTO run, simultaneously enzyme linked antibodies attach themselves to the captured pathogen. After the wash stage of the PATHATRIX® AUTO run the bead complex is added to a colourless substrate where positive sample develop a blue colour that is easily visible by eye, negative sample remain clear.

COLORTRIX® AUTO E. coli O157 is a simple reagent addition to the sample vessel at the start of the PATHATRIX® AUTO run, followed by a colour development step taking less than five minutes. This gives you a result in under 20 minutes from start to finish.

COLORTRIX® AUTO provides a cost effective screening technology to rapidly clear negative Pooled and individual samples; massive savings on your end-point detection costs. Positive Pooled results can then be quickly tested to show which of the individual samples within the Pooled sample was positive.

Matrix MicroScience

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 multiple AOAC RI approvals for a range of its products. Matrix MicroScience is an international organization with offices, research and production facilities in Denver, USA, and Newmarket, UK.

Background Notes for Editors

1. PATHATRIX® AUTO The PATHATRIX® AUTO system requires less than one minute 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 large volumes of sample, by re-circulating the sample through a "capture phase" where the antibody coated magnetic beads are immobilised.

A standard 25-375g food sample is homogenised with 225-1000ml of growth media in a stomacher and incubated (4 -18hours). Post pre-enrichment PATHATRIX® capture reagent, which consists of antibody coated magnetic particles specific to the target pathogen, are then added to the sample. The sample is loaded onto the PATHATRIX® cartridge using a Matrix proprietary consumable pack, then the cartridge is inserted into the PATHATRIX® system and the process is started by the touch of a button.

Once loaded, the PATHATRIX® workstation is typically pre-programmed to run for 15 minutes..

The sample can now be plated directly onto selective media and incubated overnight for visualization the following morning or be directly analyzed by PCR, ELISA or Lateral Flow for a very rapid result.

There are a variety of PATHATRIX® tests that enable results to be obtained within as little as 5hrs to 24hrs from point of sample to result.

2. PATHATRIX® Pooling

PATHATRIX® pooling involves taking 10ml sub-samples from 5 individual samples, pooling them to create a 50ml pooled 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 5 original samples is required. Thus the PATHATRIX® pooling approach can be used as a rapid and cost effective screen for all samples. The Pooling strategy can be employed up to a maximum of 10 samples.

Explanation of Pathatrix Pooling Strategy