Siemens develops RAPID2 system for fast discovery of pathogen signatures

16 June 2009

Siemens Corporate Research (SCR), Inc. has developed the RAPID2 system to speed the biomarker discovery process for the development of rapid diagnostic tests. This system marries the power of information technology with today's improved genomic sequencing to quickly identify genomic signatures unique to the set of organisms to be detected.

These signatures are the foundation for a new generation of molecular diagnostic tests for the rapid detection of healthcare-associated infections such as the potentially deadly Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Gayle Wittenberg, Program Manager at Siemens Corporate Research's Princeton, New Jersey-based research and development center, along with her Princeton and Erlangen, Germany colleagues, have been utilizing complex information technology models to focus on genetic targets that quickly identify pathogenic bacteria.

"The advantage of our RAPID2 system is that it provides an efficient framework for quickly identifying new biomarkers based on the genomic sequence of a particular pathogen," says Dr. Wittenberg. "In the event of a pandemic, such as the recent H1N1 Flu outbreak, our system would enable a rapid response with the development of a strain-specific diagnostic test. This would help medical professionals manage an outbreak more effectively from the outset."

SCR used its new system recently to quickly discover a DNA barcode for detecting the H1N1 Flu after they received the genomic sequences of the virus isolated from infected patients from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

In addition to applications related to healthcare-associated infections and disease outbreaks, SCR's RAPID2 system is suited for use within the food and water industries where products are tested for microbial contamination, as well for discovering genetic targets for cancer diagnostics.

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