The development of a revolutionary product

Mass Spectra played a critical role in the development of the automation software used within the award-winning Ibis T5000 Biosensor. The breakthrough system rapidly identifies a broad range of infectious organisms without having prior knowledge of the organisms it is trying to identify and is the first product to simultaneously analyze the complete genomes of 1,400 potential pathogens from a single sample. The Ibis T5000 accomplishes in a matter of minutes what would otherwise take hours, days, or even weeks with typically only a few pathogens detected at a time.

How it works
The Ibis T5000 Biosensor System looks for unique DNA sequences in samples, weighs them with mass spectrometry, and compares weights against a database of organisms. This process allows the Ibis T5000 biosensor to rapidly identify many thousands of species of bacteria, fungi, or protozoa, as well as previously unknown agents, such as those that are bioengineered.

Mass Spectra's contribution
Mass Spectra developed the mass spectrometry analysis software, eliminating the need for the user to analyze mass spectrometry results and providing the identity of the pathogens present in the sample in a simple-to-read format. Mass Spectra also provided automation software, device drivers, and instrument integration.

"The success of this project is in large measure due to Mass Spectra. Their decisive automation strategies and unique combination of expertise in high-throughput mass spectrometry, robotics integration, and high-volume data handling provided pragmatic and robust solutions to our challenges," stated Dr. Steven Hofstadler, Vice President of Research of Ibis Biosciences.

The results
Only recently released, the versatility of the T5000 is being demonstrated by the variety of government labs putting it to use. The U.S. Army uses the system to detect, diagnose, and counter human pathogens-whether encountered by troops deployed abroad or released domestically as bioterrorist attack agents. The T5000 also safeguards America's crops and indigenous plants from diseases caused by exotic pathogens, provides high-throughput forensic analysis of human samples, and helps the government combat the growing risks associated with SARS-like epidemics and hospital infections.

The Ibis T5000 has won two awards for its innovation and technological significance: the ALA Innovation Award and the R&D Magazine's 100 Award.

Ibis Biosciences is a division of Isis Pharmaceuticals.
Ibis T5000 is a trademark of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.