Published Wednesday, 14 March, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
BRISBANE BIOTECH COMPANY AT FOREFRONT OF BIRD FLU FIGHT
A Brisbane biotech company is close to releasing a new product it says will identify different strains of influenza including Avian Flu, quicker and cheaper than any other product currently on the market.
Minister for State Development John Mickel said BioChip Innovations expects to release its Influenza PrimRset product by the end of the year and will market it to the hundreds of medical and veterinary research and reference laboratories worldwide that are actively investigating influenza viruses.
“The current genetic tests being used to detect and subtype influenza viruses have a number of deficiencies,” Mr Mickel said.
“These include an inability of a single test to detect and identify any of the 144 known subtypes, all of which infect wild birds.
“The recent transference of the H5N1 subtype from wild birds to poultry to humans demonstrates a desperate need for a simple, accurate and affordable test that can detect and identify any influenza strain.
“And existing genetic tests for influenza viruses don’t provide important additional information about resistance to anti-viral drugs, how dangerous they may be and which species including humans that they may infect.
“Influenza PrimRset will be capable of testing for different strains of influenza in humans, eggs, birds, tissue culture, respiratory samples and blood.
“BioChip Innovations has created a product that can do all these things by showing the kind of ‘Smart State’ initiative the Queensland Government has long encouraged.”
The Minister said BioChip Innovations, which is based at the Queensland Government’s $1.25million i.lab bio-incubator, at Brisbane Technology Park at Eight Mile Plains, has developed a diagnostic testing system that can run a battery of tests on a virus within just three days rather than the three weeks it takes at present.
“The Influenza PrimRset will be more cost effective too. One US company offering a biochip evaluation for a few strains of influenza is charging $500 a test. The BioChip Innovations product will cost under $50 per test and give much more value for money,” he said.
The news comes following a scare in Geelong, Victoria, last week in which three CSIRO scientists were exposed to bird flu after sharing a faulty laboratory safety suit but were later given the all clear.
BioChip Innovations Chief Executive Officer Dr Graeme Barnett said his company’s product was a unique set of reagents commonly known as primers, that will allow scientists to quickly detect and analyse parts of the genetic code of any influenza type A virus.
“While the Influenza PrimRset product is intended only for investigational use by research and reference laboratories, we plan to integrate these unique reagents into a diagnostic product using silicon nanowire biochips that we are presently developing with partners in Singapore,” Dr Barnett said.
“These new biochips provide for ultra-sensitive testing and we will use them to develop a rapid test to detect and genetically analyse influenza viruses for routine diagnostic use in medical and veterinary laboratories worldwide.
“Within 2 years we anticipate using this technology to develop a fully automated hand-held device to genetically detect and identify any influenza virus within 30 minutes,” he said.
For more information about BioChip Innovations contact Dr Graeme Barnett on 07 3318 9540 or 0413 052 310, or visit www.biochips.com.au.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
For more information about i.lab Incubator Pty Ltd, contact CEO Anne-Marie Birkill on 0419 789 401 or visit www.i.lab.com.au
14 March, 2007
Minister for State Development John Mickel said BioChip Innovations expects to release its Influenza PrimRset product by the end of the year and will market it to the hundreds of medical and veterinary research and reference laboratories worldwide that are actively investigating influenza viruses.
“The current genetic tests being used to detect and subtype influenza viruses have a number of deficiencies,” Mr Mickel said.
“These include an inability of a single test to detect and identify any of the 144 known subtypes, all of which infect wild birds.
“The recent transference of the H5N1 subtype from wild birds to poultry to humans demonstrates a desperate need for a simple, accurate and affordable test that can detect and identify any influenza strain.
“And existing genetic tests for influenza viruses don’t provide important additional information about resistance to anti-viral drugs, how dangerous they may be and which species including humans that they may infect.
“Influenza PrimRset will be capable of testing for different strains of influenza in humans, eggs, birds, tissue culture, respiratory samples and blood.
“BioChip Innovations has created a product that can do all these things by showing the kind of ‘Smart State’ initiative the Queensland Government has long encouraged.”
The Minister said BioChip Innovations, which is based at the Queensland Government’s $1.25million i.lab bio-incubator, at Brisbane Technology Park at Eight Mile Plains, has developed a diagnostic testing system that can run a battery of tests on a virus within just three days rather than the three weeks it takes at present.
“The Influenza PrimRset will be more cost effective too. One US company offering a biochip evaluation for a few strains of influenza is charging $500 a test. The BioChip Innovations product will cost under $50 per test and give much more value for money,” he said.
The news comes following a scare in Geelong, Victoria, last week in which three CSIRO scientists were exposed to bird flu after sharing a faulty laboratory safety suit but were later given the all clear.
BioChip Innovations Chief Executive Officer Dr Graeme Barnett said his company’s product was a unique set of reagents commonly known as primers, that will allow scientists to quickly detect and analyse parts of the genetic code of any influenza type A virus.
“While the Influenza PrimRset product is intended only for investigational use by research and reference laboratories, we plan to integrate these unique reagents into a diagnostic product using silicon nanowire biochips that we are presently developing with partners in Singapore,” Dr Barnett said.
“These new biochips provide for ultra-sensitive testing and we will use them to develop a rapid test to detect and genetically analyse influenza viruses for routine diagnostic use in medical and veterinary laboratories worldwide.
“Within 2 years we anticipate using this technology to develop a fully automated hand-held device to genetically detect and identify any influenza virus within 30 minutes,” he said.
For more information about BioChip Innovations contact Dr Graeme Barnett on 07 3318 9540 or 0413 052 310, or visit www.biochips.com.au.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
For more information about i.lab Incubator Pty Ltd, contact CEO Anne-Marie Birkill on 0419 789 401 or visit www.i.lab.com.au
14 March, 2007