NOMADX Holdings LLC has announced an early access program for its portable NOMADX platform that enables faster, more accurate onsite pathogen detection in food safety applications. As a platinum sponsor of the event, NOMADX Holdings will present an overview of the NOMADX platform at the Food Safety Summit, taking place May 6-9, 2024, in Rosemont, Illinois. At the Summit, NOMADX will discuss the platform’s current and future technology and autonomous pipeline applications.

The early access program is open to growers/farmers, food processors, distribution, retail/foodservice, and regulatory organizations seeking an innovative new pathogen testing solution.

Powered by technology that was originally licensed from a leading university but has since been modified, the NOMADX cartridge-enhanced SERS platform is a patented surface coating that is applied to silicon chips using metallic nanoparticles. The novel technology significantly enhances the electromagnetic and chemical spectral scattering signal of molecules within a sample to create a platform. Internal validation studies have demonstrated that these enhancements allow the detection and quantification of a wide range of analytes at single-molecule detection levels. However, further studies have shown that NOMADX is as fast and simple to use as an ATP-based test, with results that can exceed the sensitivity, specificity, and speed (1-minute results) of traditional PCR testing.

The NOMADX sample collection protocol is designed for use by technicians and non-technical individuals alike, and is similar to an ATP test where a wetted swab is used to sample a defined surface. The collected sample is then deposited into a cartridge, which contains the patented chip. Each cartridge is read by the handheld device in under one minute and delivers laboratory-grade results. Further, spectral data are analyzed with the NOMADX data library and artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms to produce results instantly. The cartridge and sample can be retained for confirmatory testing, as this NOMADX protocol is non-destructive to the sample. All testing can be performed at the point of sampling without the need for laboratory equipment or specialized training.