A SIMPLE, RAPID MEANS FOR IDENTIFYING THE MICROBIAL OR VIRAL PATHOGEN CAUSING DISEASE WOULD ALLOW FOR EARLY AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR HUMANS FOUND IN SITUATIONS WITHOUT READY ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES AND

A SIMPLE, RAPID MEANS FOR IDENTIFYING THE MICROBIAL OR VIRAL PATHOGEN CAUSING DISEASE WOULD ALLOW FOR EARLY AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR HUMANS FOUND IN SITUATIONS WITHOUT READY ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES AND EXPERTISE (E.G., NASA CREW MEMBERS, FIELD SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS OF SPARSELY POPULATED AND UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS). PATHOGEN IDENTIFICATION REQUIRES THE DETERMINATION OF MULTIPLE BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THIS PROJECT IS AIMED TOWARDS PROVIDING THE CAPABILITY FOR RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF PATHOGENS WITHOUT EXTENSIVE MEDICAL OR LABORATORY EXPERTISE AND FACILITIES. SETS OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES CAPABLE OF SPECIFIC BINDING TO ONE SPECIES OR A CLASS OF PATHOGENS IN A SAMPLE FROM AIR, WATER, FOOD, OR PHYSIOLOGICAL FLUID, ARE COMBINED WITH A SET OF ENZYMES TO PRODUCE A COLOR OR OTHER SIGNAL PATTERN ON A FILTER PAPER OR IN A SET OF ASSAY CONTAINERS. A PORTABLE HOMOGENEOUS MULTI-ENZYME IMMUNOASSAYKIT IS DEVELOPED TO YIELD INCREASED ASSAY INFORMATION CONTENT, SPEED, CONVENIENCE AND SENSITIVITY.