Bio-Rad Develops Fully Automated Testing System For BSE

Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, has announced the creation of a complete solution for automated BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease) testing. This highly scalable platform is the first testing system of its kind, providing both screening and confirmation testing capabilities all in one package, and will enable laboratories to reduce staffing costs and increase the speed and security of testing. Full roll-out for Bio-Rad’s BSE automation solution is expected in the coming months.

Bio-Rad’s complete system for BSE testing features a second-generation screening test that is well suited for automation. To complement this, the system also includes the first commercially available Western Blot confirmation test sensitive enough to be used for verification of initial screening results. It is perfectly suited for use with Bio-Rad’s first- and second-generation BSE screening tests. The new confirmatory test can also produce results in just one day, whereas the traditional confirmatory method, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), can be expensive and take up to two-to-three days to complete.

“Bio-Rad is continuously working to improve today’s current testing methods. It is our goal to meet the needs of the broadest range of clients and to ensure the quickest, most efficient and reliable method in preventing BSE from entering the human food chain,” said Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Vice President and Group Manager of Life Science. “With the introduction of the new Bio-Rad test system we have entered the next phase of BSE detection by offering testing facilities around the globe with the most complete, reliable and efficient testing method to date.”