RAPID TEST TO MONITOR BLOOD MANNOSE LEVELS

D-MANNOSE CONCENTRATIONS IN BLOOD APPARENTLY INCREASE IN PATHOLOGICAL SITUATIONS SUCH AS SEPTIC SHOCK OR INFECTIONS BY FUNGUS OR GRAM NEGATIVE ORGANISMS. THEREFORE, AN ACCURATE AND SIMPLE METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF MANNOSE IS VITAL FOR DETERMINATION OF THE STATUS OF THE DISEASE. DMANNOSE IS GENERALLY MEASURED BY GAS LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY OR BY A SEVERAL STEP ENZYMATIC APPROACH WHICH IS INCONVENIENT AND TIME CONSUMING. ALTERNATIVELY, A RAPID TEST TO MONITOR BLOOD MANNOSE USING AN ENZYME WHICH WILL DIRECTLY OXIDIZE D-MANNOSE SPECIFICALLY IS PROPOSED HERE. AS SUCH AN ENZYME IS NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE OR KNOWN, THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON SCREENING AND FINDING A SUITABLE ORGANISM WHICH IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING D-MANNOSE OXIDASE/DEHYDROGENASE (PHASE I). THE GOAL OF PHASE II WILL BE TO ISOLATE AND PURIFY THE MANNOSE OXIDIZING ENZYME AND USING THIS ENZYME TO DEVELOP A LIQUID TEST OR A DRY CHEMISTRY TEST STRIP FOR D-MANNOSE (SIMILAR TO AMES' OR BOEHRINGER'S WHOLE BLOOD GLUCOSE STRIP TEST). THE TEST WILL BE SIMPLE TO PERFORM AND WILL YIELD FAST AND ACCURATE RESULTS.