Sample Prep (part 5)

You are right.  Rapid Methods have been the focus for many years now.  Time is always of the essence.  Advances in biotechnology and automation have improved production and bio-analytical work flow (Slide 13, 14).  You are probably using some of these systems now; but they were almost unimaginable only 10 years ago.  “Lab on a chip” was derided as a dream, but it’s coming true.
 
Still, there is a gap in workflow between sample receipt and analysis.  A quantum leap in biological sample preparation automation is needed (Slide 15).  Have you seen lab workflow diagrams with a gap, filled by a circle that represents a manual centrifuge?
 
So, what kind of samples are out there that need to be concentrated?  Sometimes, samples are so hot they need to be diluted or pre-treated before meaningful analysis can be performed.  On the other hand, dilute samples, or samples that have rare components in them are the ones that can benefit first from better sample prep and concentration.  Another example would be samples containing interferents.  So let’s look at environmental samples.   There are a lot of interesting things in the environment; some are friends, but some could be enemies.
 
Air samples captured in a liquid are a really good example of samples that can be prepped and further concentrated.  Biodefense was our first motivation, and still is an important application of sample prep and concentration for rapid detection and identification (Slide 16).  We have done a lot of work to improve the potential for early detection of biological threats in the environment; both for warfighters and for use in hospitals and environmental monitoring.  Wherever there is a threat, we want to help and relieve suffering. 
 
What kind of applications  do you have for this? 
 
Next, I’ll explain some of the testing we have done and show some detailed results.  We don’t just think this works – we can prove it works.