Idexx實驗室開發了一種用于檢測牛海綿狀腦病（BSE）的酶免疫檢測（EIA）試劑盒，這種疾病也被叫做瘋牛病。

這種試劑盒被研制并得到了Freedom EVO液體操作平臺、哥倫布Pro微型洗板機和Tecan US的Sunrise吸光檢測儀的確證。BSE檢測是一種抗原捕獲EIA方法，用于檢測朊病毒蛋白質(PrPsc)的異常構造，這種致病蛋白質與感染牛的mortem后腦組織的BSE發病率相關。快速mortem后樣本的篩查方法，是確保BSE感染產品不進入市場銷售的關鍵。

使用Tecan的Freedom EVO自動樣本處理器，處理器具有8個吸頭液體操作臂，這種檢測方法是高通量全自動的方法，適合BSE根除項目、牛群控制以及屠宰場監測方案。

Idexx實驗室市場部經理Neveda Djuranovic解釋說：“自動化的Idexx檢測操作相當簡單。Tecan平臺能夠在5小時內處理9個板（828個樣本），幫助BSE實驗室提供了處理BSE樣本的最佳選擇。”
 
Antigen Test Kit for Mad Cow
 
A test kit with an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, has been developed by Idexx Laboratories, Inc. (Westbrook, Maine).

The kit was developed and validated by the Freedom EVO liquid handling platform, the Columbus Pro micropolate washer, and the Sunrise absorbance reader of Tecan US (Research Triangle Park, NC, USA). The BSE test is an antigen-capture EIA for detection of the abnormal conformation of the prion protein (PrPsc), which has been associated with incidences of BSE in post-mortem brain tissues from affected cows. Methods for rapid screening of post-mortem samples are essential to ensure that BSE-tainted products do not enter the market.

Using Tecan’s Freedom EVO robotic sample processor with 8-tip liquid-handling arm, the assay can be fully automated for high throughput applications, making it suitable for use in BSE eradication programs, herd management, and abattoir surveillance programs.

“It is extremely easy to run the Idexx test with automation,” explained Nevena Djuranovic, marketing manager, Idexx. “The Tecan platform can run nine plates (828 samples) in five hours, giving BSE laboratories an excellent option for processing BSE samples.”