The US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technologies (S&T) division has granted fund to develop MicroFluidic Systems' (MFS) immunodetection assay to detect Ricin toxin.
Ricin is a chemical warfare agent which is derived from the seeds of Ricinus communis.
The development of the assay aims to reduce the usage of Ricin toxin by the terrorist groups across the world.
MicroFluidic Systems vice president Lyle Probst said in a recent evaluation of their immunodetection assay for Ricin compared to the standard method of identification, the MFS assay for the identification of Ricin is equivalent or better.
MFS is also offering a triplex assay to simultaneously detect three toxins including Ricin, Botulinum, and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB).