LabAutomation 2006 - SLAS

Where Laboratory Technologies Emerge and Merge
3:30 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Track 5: Frontiers Beyond BioPharma Room: Sierra/Ventura
Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel
David Ecker
Co-Author(s)
Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Joseph A. Ecker, Thomas A. Hall,
Carlsbad, California
Christian Massire, Lawrence B. Blyn,
decker@isisph.com
Steven A. Hofstadler, Mark Eshoo
Rangarajan Sampath, Ibis
Paul Scott, Walter Reed Army Institute for Research
F I N A L I S T
Rapid, High-Throughput Bacterial Genotyping to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections
There are approximately 90,000 unnecessary deaths in the US due to healthcare-acquired infections. An important component of infection
control is the ability to understand the clonality and spread of bacterial strains, and identify the sources and reservoirs of infectious bacteria.
We have developed an ElectroSpray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) based bacterial genotyping platform that provides rapid,
high-resolution, high throughput strain-typing useful for any species of bacteria. The method leverages high throughput mass spectrometry
detection and base composition determination of PCR amplicons from regions of microbial genomes that distinguish closely related
bacterial strains. We will present the results of two studies; 1.) monitoring a severe bacterial pneumonia outbreak in a military training facility,
2.) epidemiological tracking of hospital infections in soldiers wounded in the conflict in Iraq. The advantages of the ESI-MS based rapid
genotyping methods include:
-- Resolution - sufficient to establish clonality to track the spread of infections
-- Speed – a sample can be genotyped within 4 hours;
-- Throughput – approximately 200 samples can be analyzed in 24 hours;
-- No culture step - direct environmental or clinical samples can be analyzed;
-- Robust to mixtures - the method can tell if two strains are present in a mixture, and determine the relative ratio’s of the strains;
-- Low per-sample cost
ESI-MS genotyping method provides the opportunity to tracking hospital transmission and implement appropriate infection control
measures to prevent further infections on a time scale previously not achievable.
4:00 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Track 5: Frontiers Beyond BioPharma Room: Sierra/Ventura
Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel
Gang L. Liu
Co-Author(s)
University of California, Berkeley
Jaeyoun Kim
Berkeley, California
Luke Lee
ganglliu@berkeley.edu
University of California, Berkeley
All-Optical-Logic Microfluidic Circuit for Biochemical and Cellular Analysis Powered by
Photoactive Nanoparticles
Unlike any other microfluidic devices, we have invented a novel all-optical-logic microfluidic system which is automatically controlled only
by visible or near infrared light with down to submilliwatt power. No electric power supply, no external or MEMS pump, no tubings or
connectors, no microfluidic valves, nor surface patterning are required in our system. Our device only consists of a single-layer PDMS
microfluidic chip and newly invented photoactive nanoparticles. Our photoactive nanoparticles are capable of converting optical energy
to hydrodynamic energy in fluids. The nanoparticle themselves are biocompatible and can be biofunctionalized. Via these photoactive
nanoparticles, we used only light to drive, guide, switch and mix liquid in optofluidic logic circuits with desired speeds and directions. We
demonstrated the optofluidic controls in transportation of cells, biochemical hydrolysis reactions, and DNA hybridizations. After selective
surface biofunctionalization of our nanoparticles or their clusters, they are manipulated by light to interact with single living cells. In addition,
our nanoparticles are used as the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for vibrational spectroscopy of biomolecules
on chip. The all-optical control of biological microfluidic circuits and photoactive nanoparticles can revolutionize the automation and
miniaturization of valveless and pumpless lab-on-a-chip.
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F I N A L I S T