PRESS RELEASE

World's First Ever Simultaneous Same Day Dual Test for E.coli O157 and Salmonella launched by Matrix MicroScience

Matrix MicroScience of Newmarket UK & Golden CO, announced the launch of its new simultaneous same day (8 hr) dual test for E.coli O157 and Salmonella in raw ground beef and produce.

The Pathatrix® same day "dual" test is unique in that it can simultaneously detect the presence of low levels 1-10 cfu / sample in eight hours. The high volume of sample that the Pathatrix® can analyse is the key to this approach coupled to the use of highly specific antibody coated beads. Pathatrix® is the only commercially available system that can analyse 100% of the sample!

The benefits of the same day dual test for E.coli O157 & Salmonella are as follows:

• Uses a single non-proprietary enrichment broth leading to significant savings in labour and media
• Can be completed within 8 hours when coupled to real time PCR
• Can be done individually or in a "5 Pooled" format
• Sensitivity of 1-10 cfu per sample of both organisms in raw ground beef and raw produce.

For the first time the Pathatrix® dual test can make positive release a realistic option for food processors in the produce and beef industries, by giving a true < 8 hour turnaround in results.

Dr Adrian Parton, C.E.O. of Matrix MicroScience said, "The release of the Dual Salmonella & E.coli O157 test targeted at the raw ground beef and produce industries represents a revolution in microbial diagnostics". It is further evidence of the commitment to our customers and to the industry to provide them with better diagnostic products."

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 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.