New Rapid Test Developed to Detect Toxins in Shellfish

BELFAST, IrelandScientists at Queens University have developed a new rapid test that ensures shellfish are free of paralytic shellfish poisons, which paralyze anyone who consumes them and kills around 25 percent of those who are poisoned.

The new test slashes testing time to 30 minutes from 48 hours by using  new biosensor technology and provides a much more reliable result. It works by using unique detector proteins" to find minute amounts of toxins present in mussels, oysters, cockles and scallops.

The test will not only make shellfish safer to eat, but it will also have a significant impact on global aquaculture industries as they struggle to deal with the rising problems of toxins caused by climate change," said project leader Professor Chris Elliott, Director of the Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use at Queens School of Biological Sciences.

The test has been developed as part of a 10 million BioCop research project led by Queens and involving 32 international research partners and the European Commission.