Genomadix, previously known as Spartan Bioscience, is an Ottawa-based company that developed an innovative way to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA testing on site using a small portable kit for Legionella, or Legionnaires’ disease.
 

Legionella is a very aggressive and deadly form of pneumonia that is contracted by inhaling droplets of water that contain Legionella bacteria. The bacteria can be found almost everywhere there is stagnant water – from commercial cooling towers to hot tubs to showerheads that aren’t used frequently.
 

To test for Legionella, samples are traditionally sent to a laboratory. But Legionella bacteria can degrade when it is transported, resulting in false negatives. It also takes up to two weeks to get results. But the company’s PCR technology allows building owners and operators to test for the bacteria and get results within 45-minutes, giving an almost instantaneous snapshot of the levels of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.
 

One of the problems the company faced was that their technology is so innovative it was not recognized in existing standards. But there is an existing international standard for traditional laboratory testing: ISO/TS 12869 Water quality – Detection and quantification of Legionella spp. and/or Legionella pneumophila by concentration and genic amplification by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). They worked with SCC to use the technical specifications of the current ISO standard to draft a standard that the company’s system can conform to. This new standard would ensure their manufacturing process follows the processes set out in ISO/TS1 2869 and that the user follows a set protocol to successfully perform the on-site test with reproducible results.