CDIA^TM Acidovorax avenae subsp. Citrulli (Aac) Test Cassette (DTSPB2)

General Description

Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (Aac) is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) in cucurbit crops, which is a serious threat to cucurbit crops (in particular melon and watermelon). Aac is naturally borne and transmitted by seed which usually serves as the primary inoculum source for BFB outbreaks. Bacterial fruit blotch can cause severe crop losses if allowed to progress in fields. Prevention is possible only by planting healthy seeds and eliminating infested seedlings.

Principle Of The Test

The development of rapid test strips is based on Lateral Flow Device (LFD) technology using specific antibodies. A LFD format consists of antibody-coated latex beads latex (or colloidal gold) which will bind the specific pathogen antigen absorbed from the plant extract. The agglutination is accumulated at a specific location by the presence of a line of target specific antibody, which immobilises the agglutinated latex whilst allowing the background reagents to be washed away by continued flow along the membrane. The membrane contains a strip of target-specific antibody, test strip and a strip of another antibody that binds to the specific antibody, control strip. Latex beads containing bound antigen are trapped on the test strip leaving a visible line. Surplus latex beads that do not contain antigen are trapped on the control strip showing that the assay has worked. This provides a non-subjective and clear read out of a positive result against a low background.