Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Next-Generation Basophil Activation Test (BAT)

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has introduced the Next-Generation Basophil Activation Test (BAT) for research use only, to help with more effectively characterising food allergies without exposure to potentially harmful allergens.

Most food allergies and treatment efficacies are currently determined through a dated and rigorous Oral Food Challenge (OFC), exposing a patient to gradual amounts of foods to determine if they have a reaction, which could include anaphylaxis in some situations. The BAT test is designed to eliminate that risk, testing for multiple allergens at once through a blood draw.

BATs are functional assays measuring basophil activation in response to specific allergens or other stimuli. By using dry technology to overcome traditional BAT challenges, standardisation can be enabled with conjugated antibodies and allergens pre-mixed and dried down together in a single tube with only four pipetting steps. Negative and positive controls can also be included, all without the need for compensation or centrifugation, and the test is compatible with any flow cytometer.

While BATs have been around for more than 30 years and provide valuable insights in the study of allergies, their adoption has been limited due to the perceived complexity and lack of reproducibility associated with the assay. The use of dry reagents can support overcoming those challenges for research purposes.