AOAC INTERNATIONAL has received a grant from NIST to develop testing standards for lateral flow immunoassay test strips, crucial for the rapid detection of drugs like fentanyl, xylazine, and nitazenes. This one-year project will leverage AOAC’s collaborative approach to create consensus standards aimed at improving the consistency and reliability of test strips used by contract laboratories and other field-testing entities.
New Standards to Elevate Testing Accuracy in Contract Labs
As demand for fast, accurate drug testing in diverse environments grows, contract labs play a critical role in providing reliable tools for this purpose. Currently, the lack of defined standards for test strip performance leaves gaps in consistency and reliability. The AOAC-NIST collaboration will define minimum performance requirements, including criteria for cross-reactivity and environmental stability, ensuring contract labs can rely on validated, field-ready products.
Dr. Ed Sisco from NIST emphasized the public health impact of this initiative, noting that these test strips are indispensable tools for identifying dangerous substances in real-time, yet their effectiveness is hampered by the absence of standardized performance metrics.
Benefits for Contract Laboratories
- Standardized Performance Metrics: Enables labs to select validated test strips, ensuring reliable performance under field conditions.
- Minimized Cross-Reactivity: Ensures test strips accurately detect target substances with minimal interference.
- Field Stability: Standards will support reliable test strip performance across different environmental conditions.
- Enhanced Client Assurance: Allows contract labs to confidently offer validated, purpose-fit test strips for public safety and law enforcement clients.
Conclusion
The AOAC-NIST partnership aims to address the vital need for standards in rapid drug testing, empowering contract laboratories to provide effective, validated solutions. This project is set to significantly impact public health efforts, offering a framework for reliable, field-ready detection tools.
This article is an AI generated summary of a published press release: “AOAC INTERNATIONAL Awarded New NIST Grant Targeting Illicit Drug Method Performance Standards“
