Wageningen UR and Luminex develop multiplex detection for the agricultural and food industries

23-Apr-2008

Plant Research International, a division of Wageningen UR, and Luminex Corporation have signed a licensing agreement for the use of xMAP(r) technology. This will allow Plant Research International to further extend its research and product portfolio. The institute expects xMAP to result in new technological breakthroughs in several fields, such as the multiplex detection of plant and animal toxins and pathogenic micro-organisms, and marker assisted plant breeding.

Luminex develops technologies and methods widely applied in diagnostics. The company's xMAP technology uses fluorescent, microscopic beads, which can be detected individually by means of laser beams. According to the company, this technology allows samples of products and raw materials to be simultaneously examined for a large number of pathogens, proteins or DNA structures. The xMAP technology has already been successfully applied at authoritative clinical laboratories and in the development of new medicines by the pharmaceutical industry.

The xMAP technology is a major improvement on the well-known ELISA method, which detects only one micro-organism, protein or DNA structure at a time. Using xMAP simplifies the preparation of samples, allows for more sensitive readings and considerably reduces labour costs.

Plant Research International expects the use of xMAP technology to lead to a breakthrough in multiplex detection of pathogens, DNA markers and more. Together with interested parties, the institute will be developing various new applications as well as diagnostic kits for the agricultural and food industries.

Original publication: Bergervoet, J.H.W., Peters, J., van Beckhoven, J.R.C.M., van den Bovenkamp, G.W., Jacobson, J.W. and van der Wolf, J.M.; "Multiplex microsphere immuno-detection of potato virus Y, X and PLRV."; Journal of Virological Methods 2008, 149, 63-68.

https://www.analytica-world.com/en/news/81113/wageningen-ur-and-luminex-develop-multiplex-detection-for-the-agricultural-and-food-industries.html