title: Rapid detection of Bacillus anthracis spores using a super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunological detection system.
abstract: There is an urgent need for convenient, sensitive, and specific methods to detect the spores of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, because of the bioterrorism threat posed by this bacterium. In this study, we firstly develop a super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunological detection system for B. anthracis spores. This system involves the use of a portable magnetic assay reader, super-paramagnetic iron oxide particles, lateral-flow strips and two different monoclonal antibodies directed against B. anthracis spores. This detection system specifically recognises as few as 400 pure B. anthracis spores in 30 min. This system has a linear range of 4×10³-10⁶ CFU ml⁻¹ and reproducible detection limits of 200 spores mg⁻¹ milk powder and 130 spores mg⁻¹ soil for simulated samples. In addition, this approach shows no obvious cross-reaction with other related Bacillus spores, even at high concentrations, and has no significant dependence on the duration of the storage of the immunological strips. Therefore, this super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunological detection system is a promising tool for the rapid and sensitive detection of Bacillus anthracis spores under field conditions.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Dian-Bing
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhi-Ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiao-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Zong-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Rui-Fu
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xu-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xian-En
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D023482:Bioterrorism; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal