Revolutionary milk analysis platform allows for multiplex analysis of 100 antibiotic residues and toxins in a single test
SCIENION AG and Unisensor SA today announced that Unisensor has trusted SCIENION’s outstanding sciFLEXARRAYER technology to produce the multiplex biosticks for its unique Extenso milk analysis platform. Extenso can simultaneously detect 100 antibiotic residues and toxins in a single test in only 13 minutes and thereby represents a breakthrough for the dairy industry.
Food safety has become a matter of global concern and countries all over the world have set up regulations to improve consumer protection. The determination of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pharmacologically active substances in food represents one of several measures in this field.
Milk still remains a basic and popular product consumed worldwide, therefore its quality and safety are of major importance. The possible presence of antibiotics in milk is a major issue as antibiotic residues can affect people’s health and in the worst case even may contribute to antibiotics resistance. Furthermore, antibiotic residues in milk can impair the production of cheese or yoghurt as they inhibit the starter cultures.
Currently no test system allows for simultaneously checking the various antibiotics in a timely manner. Thanks to SCIENION’s sciFLEXARRAYER technology, Unisensor has developed the Extenso platform that offers a solution for this need. Within only 13 minutes, Extenso can simultaneously detect 100+ antibiotic residues and toxins discriminated into 17 specific channels and covering all main contaminant groups such as ß-lactams, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, lincosamides, macrolides, (fluoro) quinolones, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, colistin, melamine and even aflatoxin M1. Full connectivity and traceability allows for smart data management.
In collaboration with SCIENION, Unisensor has set up the biostick manufacturing process of this platform using SCIENION’s sciFLEXARRAYER technology (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW1I6mmI-OA&feature=youtu.be).
Benoit Granier, CEO of Unisensor S.A., comments: “We have been using the sciFLEXARRAYER dispensing system for several years for R&D purposes. Having been completely satisfied with the precision, reliability and multiplexing capabilities of this dispenser we extended its use to produce our complex multiparameter tests for the Extenso antibiotics detection platform. For us, the sciFLEXARRAYER technology has been extremely useful to facilitate the transfer from R&D to production process. Today our two companies are working together to further increase the scale-up of the process, improving the rate of production, reducing the manufacturing costs and keeping a perfect dispensing accuracy.”
Holger Eickhoff, CEO of SCIENION AG, added: “Unisensor’s milk analysis platform represents a breakthrough for the dairy industry and actually, we are proud that our sciFLEXARRAYER technology is used to contribute to better consumer protection. The launch of the Extenso platform also demonstrates the benefits of integrating different cutting edge technologies and expertise to develop innovative products.”
Both companies are strongly committed to R&D to further advance progress in diagnostics and bioanalysis. Recently, on March 15, Unisensor hosted a “Scientific Day” at the University of Liège where opinion leaders presented the latest innovations in Point-of-Care diagnostics to an audience of about 150 experts in the diagnostic field. SCIENION was invited to introduce the latest advances in multiplex lateral flow diagnostics, a solution generating more and more interest for new product developments.
About Unisensor
Unisensor is a Belgian biotech company strongly active in the agro-food industry. Since its foundation in 1997, Unisensor has been developing rapid testing solutions for the food security. The company has built a strong expertise in the detection of contaminants by means of a unique multiplexing approach.
Through its worldwide expansion, Unisensor has become a major player in the development of advanced technologies that ensure the quality of food. Products are available in more than 50 countries thanks to a network of local distributors.
About SCIENION
SCIENION offers complete solutions for precise liquid dispensing applications enabling high throughput production of multiparameter assays in diagnostics, and life and material sciences. Addressing the dynamically increasing needs for miniaturization and multiplex analyses, SCIENION offers a unique technology portfolio that has been continuously expanded for over 15 years. SCIENION provides flexible solutions for research and development, wherein solutions for production purposes are customized. Systems and software are characterized by their versatility, precision and robustness. The company is a renowned specialist for ultra-low volume liquid handling, particularly for the handling of precious and sensitive compounds of biological or chemical origin. SCIENION’s dispensers allow for contact-free and precise drop spotting in the pico- to micro-liter range and are optimally suited for microarray based analytics – such as for tests with DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, antibodies, glycans or for dispensing cells onto various substrates. The company operates from two sites in Germany, Dortmund and Berlin, and has subsidiaries in New Jersey and Arizona, USA, and Lyon, France.
Contact
Unisensor S.A.
Rue Louis Plescia, 8
4102 Seraing (Ougrée)
Belgium
Phone: +32 4252 6602
info@unisensor.be
https://unisensor.be/
SCIENION AG
Almut Gebhard
Otto-Hahn-Str. 15
D-44227 Dortmund
Phone +49 (0)30 - 6392 1700
Fax: +49 (0)30 - 6392 1701
gebhard@scienion.com
www.scienion.com
