Project: IMPROVED VETERINARY & FOOD SAFETY SCREENING USING INNOVATIVE BEAD-BASED SUSPENSION ARRAY FLOW CYTOMETRIC ASSAY KIT PRODUCTS

Goal:_x000D_Build out bead-based suspension array affinity assay system to determine agents (zoonoses, animal diseases, residues of veterinary drugs and environmental/processing contaminants) that will be developed by the consortium into a new standard in diagnostic testing by assay kits:_x000D_¿ offering more products in order to detect more (combinations of) analytes that can be screened or_x000D_monitored by this system._x000D_¿ providing an efficient, automated and affordable screening system to assess the reproductive quality of_x000D_animals to come to a better use of resources in a sustainable fur industry._x000D__x000D_Background_x000D_As a result of globalization, international trading of animal products crossing borders is very intensive._x000D_Increased demand for safety control occurred as alarming reports on ‘stamping out’ practices, recalls of products about feed/ food poisoning, microbiological contaminations, and adulterations appeared more and more. In addition, there is a growing demand for a reduced veterinary administration of antibiotics, as it is associated with the emergent problem of antibacterial resistance of pathogenic bacteria against this type of essential medicines in human health care. _x000D__x000D_In veterinary and food safety issues, this means the monitoring of huge flows of raw materials (feed), of animals and of their (edible) products. Currently, this is performed predominantly using classic methodology stemming from 1969. Five years ago, RnAssays BV picked up the challenge to assist the improvement of the monitoring programs using a multi-analyte system. At the moment, it is not possible to detect bacterial, viral and/or parasitic infections and chemical contaminants simultaneously in a single test portion in a single analysis run, except by the new RnAssays’ technology. _x000D__x000D_The problem of classic testing technology is time-consumption and relative expensive and labour-intensive procedures if multiple agents have to be analyzed. This delays and hampers correct decision-making in the animal and food-production lines. A classic bacteriological determination, for example, may take 3 to 5 days, while serology using an ELISA assay for the detection of antibodies may reveal a result as late as after a day. For the screening of residues of a veterinary drugs, either a very aspecific test has to be run or a series of ELISA tests. _x000D__x000D_Multi-residue screening by mass-spectrometry as an alternative is hindered by a relative low throughput and is still relatively expensive. As a consequence, products and breeding animals reach the market after several days with losses of weight and quality and with extra costs for intermediate storage. In addition, specificity, sensitivity and limit of detection of current screening technologies are not satisfactory. It is, therefore, not unusual that end-users choose to limit diagnostic screening to the obligatory testing only. The limited system has, however, not prevented the many occasions of unnecessary destruction of animals, product re-calls, morbidity and hospitalizations and work incapability, and even mortality. Effective control of animal and public health risks in the animal production chains (Farm-to-the-Fork) is thus insisted rightfully by consumers and the authorities._x000D__x000D_Technical and market applications:_x000D_A large number of samples from (food from) animals has to be screened for agents at (extremely) low concentrations at the lowest cost possible. Most of the omics analytical technologies fail to meet these requirements. RnAssays BV invested largely in a bead-based suspension array flow cytometric analysis technology, which can replace current inefficient screening technologies. _x000D_This project aims to bring this initiative further. In order to achieve this, the current limited bead-based product spectrum should extended and fast: laboratories want to simplify their infrastructures and to reduce their costs while increasing their analysis capacity now!_x000D__x000D_In the project’s core technology, the individually coded beads are identified by the flow cytometer and reveal the presence of chemical and microbial contaminants in a single test portion of the sample and in a single run. As tens of beads can be combined in a modular way in a two-dimensional space, the potential of the foreseen kit products is impressive. Any analytical matrix is suitable for bead-based analysis, including blood, egg, feces, kidney, meat (drip) or milk. So far, there is no commercial available alternative, including high-end instrumental techniques. _x000D__x000D_The recent market launch of a bead-based assay has been welcomed with great enthusiasm. The industry is now asking to extend the bead spectrum detecting much more analytes. The Consortium, R&D Ps and end-user laboratories, has defined a focus for each analyte class and for PMCs with the highest market potential in 5 workpackages: _x000D_1. Animal Diseases, _x000D_2. Residues of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals, _x000D_3. Chemical Contaminants, _x000D_4. Zoonotic Diseases, and _x000D_5. Quality Parameters._x000D__x000D__x000D__x000D__x000D__x000D_

Acronym	Go with the flow (Reference Number: 6993)
Duration	01/02/2012 - 31/01/2015
Project Topic	Development of assay kits for parallel detection of residues of veterinary antibiotics, chemical contaminants, transmissible diseases and biomarkers to reveal the reproductive ability of male mink by detection of multiple analytes in a single run.
Project Results (after finalisation)	Centre d’Economie Rural Groupe _x000D_Project withdrawn on 11/02/2014 due to unproved major change. “on-hold” since 22/07/2013_x000D_To be able to release the pending expenditures (exp id 8478, 8477, 6936) the ESE has requested confirmation from the NFB that the expenditures pending were eligible costs. _x000D_The official letter received is save in O:\Eurostars\10 - NFB Matters\NFB Matters 2008 - 2013\12 - Recovery procedure\Recoveries\29 BE - SPW\6993 Go with the flow_x000D_As the project was “on-hold” since, the ESE has not accepted one expenditure (exp id 8478), considered ineligible because it was covering project activities during the on-hold period. For this reason a recovery has been recorded (exp 9770)_x000D_
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 7

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
4	Centre d' Economie Rurale - Health department	Partner	Belgium
4	Kopenhagen Fur	Partner	Denmark
4	RnAssays BV	Coordinator	Netherlands
4	UNISENSOR SA	Partner	Belgium