CREAM: Cartridges with molecularly imprinted recognition elements for antibiotic residues monitoring in milk

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0026

Key words (English)

Analysis; antibiotic residues in milk; fluorescent labels; portable microsystems; molecular imprinting

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLK1-1999-00902

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.9 Support for research infrastructures

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: University of Lund (S)

Abstract (English)

To meet the need of alternative confirmatory methods and practical instrumentation for on-site monitoring and discrimination of b-lactam residues in milk, the main objective of this project is to develop and optimise a plug-in detection cartridge supporting a molecularly imprinted polymer assay. This cartridge will consist of a microfabricated column accommodating an optical detection window. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in the form of beads will be used as packing materials and recognition elements. Analyte binding will be detected by fluorescence.
Within the reporting period, a market research was carried out to (i) evaluate the specific demands and needs of end-users with respect to the analysis of analysis of antibiotics in milk and (ii) identify strengths and weaknesses of commercially available systems. The information gained by the market research was used to draw a user requirement specification document and an assay specification. Test cartridges as support of molecularly imprinted assays were designed and fabricated using replication techniques. A modular approach was adopted to facilitate the cartridge development. Various fluorescent monomers and antibiotic analogs were synthesized and characterized. A library of polymers imprinted with penicillin G was generated. Radioactive competition studies were completed with a broad range of antibiotics and fluorescent analogs. Different methods for the production of MIPs were tested.
Evaluation of the MIPs performance and optimal assay format using synthetic b-lactam samples is currently in progress. Flow and batch experiments with fluorescent analogs have been carried out on a modified fluorometer. Concurrently, an LC-MS based analytical procedure has been developed and cross-reactivity studies have been performed by radioactive assays using various antibiotic competitors. The MIPs have also been evaluated in a SPE format. Selective sorption of penicillin G has been observed. The development of a dedicated instrumentation is in progress. A functional requirement specification document has been created.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0026