Automated detection and discrimination of viable tobamovirus species from seeds

Overview

PathogenDx presents a groundbreaking solution for the rapid and accurate detection of Tobamovirus species in seeds, significantly enhancing sensitivity and speed compared to traditional qPCR methods. This technology leverages PathogenDx's proprietary PhytoX technology to achieve a detection limit of less than 10 virions per gram, making it highly effective for pathogen safety testing in agricultural applications.

Technical specifications

• Seed Preparation and Detection Workflow:
  • Soaking and agitating seeds in non-ionic detergent to prepare rinsate.
  • Processing rinsate with PbCl2 to degrade virion-free RNA.
  • Capturing intact virions using cationic magnetic beads and releasing them with a buffer to induce lysis.
  • Conducting Multiplex-Endpoint RT-PCR followed by hybridization analysis to detect and discriminate Tobamovirus species.
• Validation Process:
  • Utilizes chitosan magnetic beads for TMV recovery and optimized elution from tomato and pepper seeds.
  • Demonstrates detection sensitivity greater than qPCR by more than two times, with a focus on intact virus recovery.

Technology readiness level

This technology is currently at TRL 4, indicating that it has been validated in a laboratory environment and is ready for further development and testing in more realistic settings.