BOZEMAN, Mont. - A new tool to rapidly identify biological agents in food, water and air is being developed by SoftRay, Inc. of Laramie, Wyo., and will undergo testing at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center in Natick, Mass. This new optical sensor can rapidly find and identify infectious bacteria such as Anthrax, E. coli., Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium, preventing illness caused by accidental or intentional contamination of food or water.

The Natick Soldier Center and SoftRay recently entered into an agreement, facilitated by the MSU TechLink Center and Natickís Office of Business Development, to evaluate SoftRayís rapid detection system. The technology addresses the militaryís need for less time-consuming and costly methods for detecting food or waterborne bacteria. ìStatistics show that food or water was used in more than 60 percent of all occurrences of infecting the target,î said Dr. Andre Senecal of Natick. An early warning system will help to reduce the effect of each occurrence.

According to the World Health Organization, food poisoning is one of the most widespread health problems in the world. Each year in the U.S., an estimated 7 million illnesses and 7,000 deaths occur from microbial contamination of food, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The associated economic costs due to loss of productivity, medical costs, and food recalls amounts to $6.9 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.

SoftRayís system can be used to detect bacteria in extremely small or large samples and can differentiate between strains of the same bacteria. For example, E. coli. 0157:H7 -- the well- known hamburger bacteria -- causes illness in humans, but other forms of E. coli normally inhabit the digestive tracts of humans and most mammals and are harmless. SoftRay has found a way to quickly and accurately tell the difference between the strains by using a light source to examine the prepared sample. When the pathogen is combined with an antibody, it becomes fluorescent under the light source and its identifying characteristics become apparent. A computer algorithm can then confirm the identity of the pathogen. Because the identification occurs very rapidly, the system can be used to provide early warning of biological contamination and can aid in diagnosing and preventing the spread of food or waterborne infection in a community.

SoftRayís long-range goal is to develop and license the production of their smart biomedical optical systems to corporate partners.

The Natick Soldier Centerís DoD Combat Feeding Program develops and evaluates biosensors for rapid detection of food quality and safety. Pending the outcome of tests on SoftRayís technology, the Natick center may support field evaluation of the technology through the U.S. Army Veterinary Command, which has food safety authority for military bases worldwide. The field-testing would move SoftRayís technology one step closer to commercialization.

TechLink is located at Montana State University in Bozeman and funded by the Department of Defense and NASA to link companies in Montana and the surrounding region with federal laboratories for joint research and technology transfer. Its overriding purpose is to contribute to the success of both technology-based companies and key resource-based industries in the state and region.

CONTACTS:
Paul Johnson
SoftRay, Inc.
(307) 745-3743
pjohnson@uwyo.edu

Dan Swanson
TechLink
(406) 994-7736
dss@montana.edu

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