Annual Report 2007

Detecting Avian Influenza Virus More Rapidly Q uick identification of avian influenza infection in poultry is critical to controlling outbreaks, but current detection methods can require several days to produce results. A new biosensor developed at GTRI can detect avian influenza in just minutes. In addition to being a rapid test, the biosensor is economical, fielddeployable, sensitive to different viral strains and requires no labels or reagents. “We can do real-time monitoring of avian influenza infections on the farm, in live-bird markets or in poultry processing facilities,” said Jie xu, a GTRI research scientist. Outbreaks of the disease – primarily spread by migratory aquatic birds – have plagued the poultry industry for decades, with millions of dollars in losses. The only way to stop the spread of the disease is to destroy all poultry that may have been exposed to the virus. A virulent strain of avian influenza (H5N1) has begun to threaten not only birds but also humans, with more than 300 infections and 200 deaths reported to the World Health Organization since 2003. Of concern is the threat of a pandemic, such as the 1918 Spanish flu that killed about 40 million people, health officials say. “With so many different virus subtypes, our biosensor’s ability to detect multiple strains of avian influenza at the same time is critical,” noted xu. The work was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Georgia Research Alliance and the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service program titled “Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in the U.S.” It was reported in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. “The technology that Georgia Tech developed with our help has many advantages over commercially available tests: improved sensitivity, rapid testing and the ability to identify different strains of the influenza virus simultaneously,” said David Suarez, a collaborator on the project and research leader of exotic and emerging avian viral diseases in ARS’ Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Ga. Suarez is providing antibodies and test samples for GTRI’s research. The biosensor is coated with antibodies specifically designed to capture a protein located on the surface of the viral particle. The sensor utilizes the interference of light waves, a concept called interferometry, to precisely determine how many virus particles attach to the sensor’s surface. Beyond the waveguide sensor, field-testing the GTRI biosensor requires a sample-delivery device, a laptop computer for data collection and a swab taken from a potentially infected bird. The waveguides can be cleaned and reused dozens of times, decreasing the per-test cost of the chip fabrication. “We are continuing our collaboration and have provided additional money to Georgia Tech to move the project along faster,” added Suarez. “Since this technology is already set up so that you can use multiple antibodies to detect different influenza subtypes, we are going to extend the work to include the H5 subtype.” A GTRI-developed biosensor can detect avian influenza in minutes. 0 www.gtri.gatech.edu http://www.gtri.gatech.edu

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Annual Report 2007

Annual Report 2007 Contents From the Director Research at GTRI Defense and Security Health and Human Systems Energy and Environment Manufacturing Technologies Information and Communication Technologies GTRI Around the World Interdisciplinary Research Centers The Laboratories of GTRI Georgia Tech Ireland GTRI by the Numbers GTRI and Georgia Tech Supporting Breakthrough Research GTRI Professional Education The People of GTRI

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