Assessment of Bacterial Endotoxin by Fluorescent Labeling

Tim Sandle has written a review of a new range of development tests that can detect bacterial species based on analysis of endotoxin. The review is published in American Pharmaceutical Review.

New research in the field of bacterial endotoxin allows for the rapid detection, and quantitative estimation of, different endotoxin species. This has long been thought theoretically possible due to similarities and differences with the chemical structure of the pyrogenicity and immunogenicity of lipopolysaccharide,1 but the technological means to achieve this could not be realized commercially, or reliably, until recently. A new technique, based on microchip electrophoretic methodology, can examine lipopolysaccharides for variations in the length and composition of the O-antigen and core oligosaccharide of the molecule; this is in addition to assessing the number and length of fatty acid chains in the Lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharide. When this information is computed and compared the new method allows for the determination of the bacterial strain of the endotoxin. The technology requires bacterial cells to be grown and a cellular lysate obtained; the probable species is then determined through molecular size comparison.

The reference is:

Sandle, T. (2017) Assessment of Bacterial Endotoxin by Fluorescent Labeling, American Pharmaceutical Review, Endotoxin Supplement, October 2007, pp1-3

For further details, please contact Tim Sandle

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle