Abstract:

This project will investigate the feasibility of producing a diagnostic chip for the simultaneous detection of all the plant pests/pathogens present in the EU Plant Health Directive (77/93/EEC), using quarantine potato pests as a model system. The project will establish methods for detection of quarantine pathogens in plant tissue using gene chip technology. Up to 30 000 DNA probes (sequences from each of the organisms to be tested in one assay) can be arrayed on to a microscope slide - the 'gene chip'. The chip can be exposed to fluorescently labelled nucleic acid from the sample and fed into a micro-array reader to reveal if any of the pathogens are present. The project covers the whole process from preparing target genes, generating gene chips, preparing samples, hybridisation of samples, analysis of results and finally through to quarantine diagnosticians evaluating the technology.

Objectives:

The present project proposal aims to establish methodologies for the direct detection of quarantine pathogens of potato in suspect plant samples using gene chip technology. The 'gene chip' consists of a glass microscope slide with the gene sequences from each of the organisms that need to be detected in a single assay arrayed on its surface. Methods will be established for sample extraction, sample labelling, hybridisation and data capture. The two most important characteristics of a diagnostic protocol will be compared with traditional methods, i.e. sensitivity and specificity. The end-point of the project is a 'ring test' where, following a training course to facilitate technology transfer, the technology developed will be evaluated by quarantine diagnosticians.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Stephen HILL / Central Science Laboratory Plant Health Group / UNITED KINGDOM

Participant

• Erko STACKEBRANDT / DSMZ Plant Virus Division GERMANY
• Florentino JUSTE / Dep proteccion vegetal y biotecnologia SPAIN
• Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Unité Santé Végétale et Environnement / FRANCE
• Ulrike SCHRAMM / MWG-Biotech AG GERMANY
• Keith GOODEY / University of York, Department of Biology Centre for Novel Agricultural Products / UNITED KINGDOM