A New Diagnostic Francisella Peptide Chip Assay (iMASS) Allowing Sensitive, Quantitative, and Specific Detection of Francisella in Clinical and Environmental Samples

摘要

Francisella tularensis (F.t.), a small, nonmotile, aerobic Gram-negative cocco-bacillus, causes the disease tularemia, and has been designated by the CDC as one of the ten organisms most likely to be engineered for bioterrorism. The symptoms of tularemia in human are non-specific and ake the disease difficult to diagnose. Therefore, methods for early diagnosis of tularemia are of critical importance. We are developing an MS-based diagnostic Francisella peptide chip assay allowing the rapid, sensitive, safe, quantitative and specific detection of F.t. in environmental and clinical samples, which circumvents many problems associated with current diagnosis. This method utilizes antibodies immobilized on beads for the capture of target peptides, instead of proteins, which are captured in conventional protein chip assays.