Technology

The Ibis T5000™ Biosensor System interrogates common sequences among classes of organisms for non-diagnostic use. Despite the enormous class diversity of organisms, Ibis scientists have carefully selected and curated genetic sequences that allow this interrogation to produce powerful results for surveillance, epidemiology, forensic, and biological research.

For example, bacteria have highly conserved sequences in a number of genomic locations, including the universally conserved regions of ribosomal and other non-coding RNAs and essential protein-encoding genes. These conserved sequences can serve as priming sites for sequence amplification in PCR tests. When the regions between these conserved PCR primer-binding sites contain sequences that are variable depending on the class of organism, the base compositions of the PCR products can be used as identification markers.

Mass spectrometry rapidly determines the precise weights of the nucleic acids present and the A, C, T, and G content (i.e., base composition) of each amplicon. The base compositions of the PCR products are used to help identify the organisms present.

In addition to broad-range organism identification, the Ibis T5000 Biosensor System can be used with specific assay kits from Ibis Biosciences to provide strain genotyping information, for human forensics and other non-diagnostic purposes.