Biodefense
© 2008 GenArraytion, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Effectively protecting military personnel, the homeland and US citizens abroad against the threat of a biological attack requires rapid, actionable identification and characterize of a broad spectrum of potential biological threats that include known threats, emerging disease agents and genetically engineered organisms. Detection methods must accurately identify pathogen signatures in a complex background with low false positive rates. They must be capable of monitoring the environment as well as medical specimens in order to identify novel, previously uncharacterized threats and to provide data needed to predict disease spread and consequences so that appropriate action can be taken. Genetic biomarkers provide the most reliable identification and characterization of microorganisms by targeting the molecular elements that determine an organism's physical makeup, especially elements that are key to determining course of action, such as antibiotic resistance and virulence mechanisms.
GenArraytion has developed an innovative microbial genotyping approach, Sniper Sequencing, which addresses the need to rapidly and simultaneously assay bacterial, viral and protozoan agents of disease. Highly discriminating genotyping probe sets are available for a broad range of bacterial and viral biological threat agents.
GenArraytion has validated probe sets for many of the CDC Category A and B pathogens. Click here for a partial list [link to the biothreat slide I sent.] Data showing the high fidelity identification of some of the highest priority biothreat agents are shown in the data slides on this page. We have developed a genotyping array that provides excellent discrimination between virulent and harmless strains of B. anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax [link to the image of the array], and can easily distinguish near neighbors that have more than 80% sequence identity. Another array can identify Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, from its two nearest neighbors, which have more more than 95% sequence identity [link to pestis genotyping slide]. In addition, we have developed a probe set that can readily distinguish between the equine encephalitis viruses, some of the highest priority viral threats [link to the VEE slide].
GenArraytion has developed an innovative microbial genotyping approach, Sniper Sequencing, which addresses the need to rapidly and simultaneously assay bacterial, viral and protozoan agents of disease. Highly discriminating genotyping probe sets are available for a broad range of bacterial and viral biological threat agents.
GenArraytion has validated probe sets for many of the CDC Category A and B pathogens. Click here for a partial list [link to the biothreat slide I sent.] Data showing the high fidelity identification of some of the highest priority biothreat agents are shown in the data slides on this page. We have developed a genotyping array that provides excellent discrimination between virulent and harmless strains of B. anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax [link to the image of the array], and can easily distinguish near neighbors that have more than 80% sequence identity. Another array can identify Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, from its two nearest neighbors, which have more more than 95% sequence identity [link to pestis genotyping slide]. In addition, we have developed a probe set that can readily distinguish between the equine encephalitis viruses, some of the highest priority viral threats [link to the VEE slide].
