The Ibis T5000 Universal Biosensor: An Automated Platform for Pathogen Identification and Strain Typing

We describe a new approach to the sensitive and specific identification of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa based on broad-range PCR and high-performance mass spectrometry. The Ibis T5000 is based on technology developed for the Department of Defense known as T.I.G.E.R. (Triangulation Identification for the Genetic Evaluation of Risks) for pathogen surveillance. The technology uses mass spectrometry—derived base composition signatures obtained from PCR amplification of broadly conserved regions of the pathogen genomes to identify most organisms present in a sample. The process of sample analysis has been automated using a combination of commercially available and custom instrumentation. A software system known as T-Track manages the sample flow, signal analysis, and data interpretation and provides simplified result reports to the user. No specialized expertise is required to use the instrumentation. In addition to pathogen surveillance, the Ibis T5000 is being applied to reducing health care—associated infections (HAIs), emerging and pandemic disease surveillance, human forensics analysis, and pharmaceutical product and food safety, and will be used eventually in human infectious disease diagnosis. In this review, we describe the automated Ibis T5000 instrument and provide examples of how it is used in HAI control.