Growth Promoters Biochip Screening Test

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 04 Mar 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Randox Laboratories has produced a biochip screening test for growth promoter drug residues including Beta-Agonists, Corticosteroids, Stilbenes and Ractopamine. The Growth Promoters array from Randox simultaneously and quantitatively performs nine assays on a single sample.

Growth promoters improve an animal's ability to efficiently utilise nutrients in feed. The results are faster weight gain, increased lean tissue mass and improved carcass quality. Growth promoters have been used to maximise growth in livestock production for around 40 years. However, the use of growth promoters is tightly regulated in many countries, mainly due to concerns that drug residues in food could pose a health risk to consumers. Drug residue testing is a two-stage process. Rapid screening methods are first used to rule out negative samples. Samples identified as positive are then tested by confirmatory techniques such as HPLC or mass spectrometry.

Randox Laboratories' Growth Promoters array uses a biochip containing an array of immobilised antibodies, each specific to a different analyte. The biochip simultaneously performs nine growth promoter assays in just 100 microlitres of urine. Simple sample preparation and simultaneous testing enable a rapid throughput with minimum effort - 405 tests in under 2½ hours. The typical limit of detection for each of the assays on the biochip is below 2 ppb, more than adequate for drug residue screening. Urine samples can be analysed for Beta-agonists, Corticosteroids, Ractopamine, Trenbolone, Boldenone, Stanozolol and Zeranol without the need for sample clean up. Randox supply immunoaffinity columns for sample clean up before analysis for Nandrolone and Stilbenes.

The Growth Promoters array is a rapid and sensitive quantitative screening test for growth promoter drug residues. The array is complemented by Randox's Anti-Microbial array, a comprehensive screening biochip that simultaneously and quantitatively measures 12 different sulphonamide antibiotics in a single sample.

Randox is an international diagnostics company, headquartered in the UK. Randox develop, manufacture and market clinical diagnostic products worldwide. Core products are: Biochip Array Technology; clinical chemistry analysers and reagents; quality controls and EQA; environmental diagnostics; recombinant proteins and antibodies.

http://www.randox.com