BiodetectionPositiveID’s M-BAND fits the bill for $3 billion BioWatch program
DHS’s $3.1 billion BioWatch program aims to place biosensors on top of utility poles and buildings in major American cities in order to detect bioterror attacks; PositiveID says its M-BAND solution is well positioned to be picked up by DHS for the program
PositiveID Corporation, a developer of molecular diagnostic systems for bio-threat detection, announced the other day that its M-BAND (Microfluidic-Bioagent Autonomous Networked Detector) system is well positioned to take part in DHS’s $3.1 billion BioWatch Gen-3 program, expected to be released in the first half of 2012, and is the only system of its kind that was demonstrated in the field under the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) BAND Program.
The company notes that its patented M-BAND biodetector was developed under a competitive award from DHS S&T, and M-BAND was the only successful system to emerge from the BAND program.
M-BAND received U.S. Patent No. 7,705,739 B2 for an Integrated Airborne Substance Collection and Detection System, and was developed by PositiveID’s Microfluidic Systems (MFS) subsidiary under six years of funding from the federal government.
A PositiveID release reports that M-BAND is a bioaerosol monitor with integrated modular systems including sample collection, purification, and detection modules. Each module is independently functional and adaptable. M-BAND runs autonomously for up to thirty days, continuously analyzing air samples for the detection of bacteria, viruses, and toxins with results in as little as three hours. Results from individual instruments are reported via a secure wireless network in real time to give an accurate and up to date status for fielded instruments in aggregate. Also as part of the BAND Program, PositiveID developed, validated, and implemented its own biological assays for use on the M-BAND system and research laboratories.
The company says that the M-BAND instrument offers a number of advantages including decreased consumable and operating costs, a small footprint, a closed operating environment, and flexibility of operation. M-BAND has been designed and field tested to operate continuously for thirty days unattended between scheduled services. It also operates using industry gold-standard TaqMan PCR (polymerase chain reaction) chemistry.
William J. Caragol, chairman and CEO of PositiveID, stated, “We believe M-BAND is the only system of its kind that has been successfully field tested indoors and outdoors, both domestically and internationally. We further believe that M-BAND has significant benefits that set this technology apart and put us in a strong position to participate with large partners in the $3.1 billion BioWatch opportunity.”
