Gold nanorod diagnostic test and data management system for detection and control of bovine tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs, causing a general state of illness, coughing and eventually death. Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is caused by a particular bacterium that affects cows but can be passed on to practically all mammals, including humans. The usual route of infection is through the inhalation of infected droplets which are expelled from the lungs by coughing. Because the course of the disease is slow, an undetected cow can spread the disease to many others in a herd before it begins to show any visible signs of illness. Unregulated movement of infected but undetected cows, along with contact with infected wild animals such as badgers, are the major ways that the disease is spread.

Accurate detection, herd management and movement control are critical to achieving the eradication of the disease. The current test for bovine tuberculosis on farm herds is relatively subjective relying on individual veterinary practitioner interpretation. It is also not sensitive enough to detect all the cows that are infected therefore making eradication impossible.

Bovine TB control measures cost over £500 million in the last 10 years. Without intervention, costs are expected to top £1 billion over the next decade if no new action is taken. A new, effective test is urgently needed. This proposal would bring together an international consortium to lead the fight against tuberculosis in cattle. The ambitious consortium has set out to do a project that will eliminate inaccurate test results frequently experienced by farming communities across the country but also worldwide. These "false positive" results lead to the unnecessary slaughter of healthy animals and infected animals being missed, bringing enormous economic and emotional cost to farmers, society and governments. This collaboration allies Aberystwyth's world-leading biomarker research with Lateral Flow Diagnostic specialists Clarity Biosolutions, life science businesses, Dynamic Extractions, software specialists Bond Digital Health and Sona Nanotech in Canada, specialists in gold nanrod LF technology, to build a team of academic and industry experts because no single company can achieve this goal alone. The project combines the latest cutting-edge science and technological developments with world-class research, state of the art facilities and expertise, to develop a new highly accurate, objective test to rapidly detect, manage, control and ultimately eradicate bTB.