PANTHER: Rapidly Identifying Biological Agents in Aerosols
Abstract
The threat of airborne hazardous biological agents within a building or in locations of high population density (e.g., sports arenas, subways) stresses the need for rapid, sensitive identification of the responsible biological agents. Lincoln Laboratory has developed instruments for rapid bioidentification and has transferred the technology to industry. Continuing threats posed by pathogens -- whether in intentional bioagent attacks or through unintentional spread of disease -- highlight the need for a pathogen detection and identification method that can provide a warning before a susceptible population is infected. To reduce the impact of bioagent releases, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense need rapid, sensitive detect-to-warn identification. The Lincoln Laboratory-developed PANTHER (Pathogen Analyzer for Threatening Environmental Releases) technology is a flexible bioaerosol sensor platform that was developed to meet that need. PANTHER is made possible by the CANARY (Cellular Analysis and Notification of Antigen Risks and Yields) technology. CANARY uses nature's bioidentifiers, B cells, the fastest pathogen identifiers known. B cells are a type of white blood cell that binds to and recognizes pathogens within seconds. The Laboratory's genetically engineered B cells bind specifically to pathogens of interest and then, within seconds, emit photons that indicate that binding (and therefore identification) have occurred. CANARY can be used to reliably detect <200 particles of pathogen in less than 2 minutes. In contrast, competing technologies take between 15 minutes and 4 hours, time spans that are inadequate for warning a population.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA594039
Entities
People
- James K Harper
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology