The Problem:
Marine Biotoxins
Climate change and ocean acidification have contributed to a significant increase in harmful algal blooms and biotoxin production. At the forefront of this dangerous class of cyanobacterial toxins are the saxitoxins (STX), also known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins. PSPs are a family of 57 toxin analogues characterized by rapid-onset symptoms targeting the nervous system. These substances accumulate in marine shellfish species that filter feed on toxic algae and unfortunately cannot be neutralized through thermal processing of food. As there is no known antidote to PSP toxins, there is a growing concern about marine biotoxins causing illness and death in both aquatic organisms and humans.
The Solution: Shellfish Screening
Sensoreal’s answer to this problem is a rapid, point-of-need detection kit for the quantification of PSP toxins in several shellfish tissue matrices, including mussel, oyster and geoduck clam. Our automated one-step assay provides quantitative results in less than an hour following an easy-to-use protocol which does not require specialized training. Compact and portable, Sensoreal’s microfluidic chip is suitable for use on ships and in isolated communities, empowering harvesters to take action in ensuring food safety.
Sensoreal’s device will help to address the pressing need to improve biotoxin surveillance in shellfish growing areas to ensure food safety. The current commercially available marine biotoxin screening test kits have several critical limitations, such as the inability to detect a broad range of toxins in multiple matrices, insufficient sensitivity, poor specificity, and incompatibility with field use. Due to these limitations, regulatory agencies require that final testing be performed in a certified laboratory, which is impractical for remote communities.
Having an inexpensive but effective field test kit that can easily be used and interpreted by lay people will provide benefits to both public safety and harvest efficiency. Shellfish harvesters can use the tool to screen their catches on-site and choose safe harvest areas, ensuring that resources are not wasted on toxic harvests and minimizing delays due to sample transit to testing facilities.
Individuals harvesting shellfish in remote communities where sample transport to laboratories is impractical will be able to test their catches for marine biotoxins, preventing food poisoning outbreaks in remote locations far from centralized health care. In this way, the test will prevent the distribution and consumption of dangerous shellfish products in remote communities and the general public.