Beckman coulter’s new basophil activation test for allergies

Innovation Follows $1 Million FARE Award.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation, introduces the Next-Generation Basophil Activation Test (BAT) for research use only to more effectively characterize food allergies without exposure to potentially harmful allergens.

Approximately 220 million people globally suffer from at least one food allergy. Most food allergies and treatment efficacies are currently determined through a dated and rigorous Oral Food Challenge (OFC), exposing a patient to gradual amounts of foods to determine if they have a reaction, which could include anaphylaxis in some situations. The new BAT test eliminates that risk, testing for multiple allergens at once through a blood draw — saving hours of food testing and exposure to potentially harmful reactions.

This offers a groundbreaking alternative in allergy testing, removing patient obstacles and reducing ethical concerns associated with direct allergen exposure in vulnerable participants,”

Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

“For too long these concerns have limited critical advancements, putting people at risk of not having access to life-saving treatment options should an allergic reaction occur. By removing these barriers, this test unlocks an opportunity to finally expand food allergy drug development and research. This reinforces our mission at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences to deliver tools that empower clinicians and improve patient outcomes.”

The innovation follows the FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Innovation Award Diagnostic Challenge which Beckman Coulter Life Sciences received in 2022. The $1 million award helps foster the development of improved testing methods in the field of food allergies.

“At FARE, we have prioritized supporting the development of safer alternatives to oral food challenges that can expose patients to risk and induce anxiety,” said Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of FARE. “The introduction of this next-generation Basophil Activation Test marks a significant advancement, moving diagnostic innovation from the bench toward future clinical application, paving the way for safer, more accessible food allergy research while offering the opportunity to stimulate progress and we are excited about the promise it holds for research and development.”

BAT are functional assays measuring basophil activation in response to specific allergens or other stimuli.

By leveraging dry technology to overcome traditional BAT challenges, standardization is enabled with conjugated antibodies and allergens pre-mixed and dried down together in a single tube with only 4 pipetting steps. Negative and positive controls can also be included, all without the need for compensation or centrifugation, and is compatible with any flow cytometer.

While BAT has been around for more than 30 years and provides valuable insights in the study of allergies, its adoption has been limited due to the perceived complexity and lack of reproducibility associated with the assay. The use of dry reagents can support overcoming those challenges.

The test offers unmatched flexibility with customizable dried down allergens, antibodies, and concentrations available through Custom Design Service from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences.

Image Credit: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

About Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Time is the most critical facet in the laboratory today:  time to get life-saving therapies to patients faster; reclaiming time by automating tedious manual workflows; and saving time otherwise spent addressing erroneous or complex results.

At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, we are partners in time. We accelerate answers to critical questions through the power of efficiency, saving hours from some workflows and delivering reliable results in centrifugation, flow cytometry, genomic solutions, particle analysis/counters, and liquid handlers.

We develop innovations for scientists by scientists, with many of our 3,300+ global colleagues coming from the laboratory with a deep understanding of today’s challenges and complexities. We’re passionate about translating science in partnership with our customers, and our customizable, accessible and sustainable solutions empower them with intuitive workflow efficiencies.

Time and again customers put their trust in us, with 400,000+ of our built-to-last products currently delivering results in labs worldwide – all backed by our dependable service and application experts offering educational insights and tailored support.

It’s all part of our time-tested approach since 1935 to bring meaningful innovations at the speed of life—and we’re just beginning. Working together, let’s advance human health for a better tomorrow!

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