FDA DEVELOPING TEST TO SCREEN FOR HOAX BIOTERROR AGENTS

Researchers at the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research are developing a new way to screen for and identify bioterror agents and other substances used in hoax incidents, the agency announced Aug. 3.

The screening method uses a technology called mass spectrometry, which identifies and quantifies compounds quickly and with a very high degree of accuracy based on the structure and chemical properties of their molecules, the agency said.

The testing process employs a mass spectrometer to analyze patterns generated by substances and compare them to patterns in a database of other known substances. Methods such as DNA testing are more costly and involve lengthier processes to detect the microorganisms that can cause disease, the agency said.

While the new test cannot distinguish living from nonliving microorganisms, it can process a large number of samples rapidly and costs as little as $2 compared to $15 to $50 for DNA tests, the FDA said.

The FDA notice can be viewed at www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01424.html (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01424.html).