A ONE-STEP COLORIMETRIC IMMUNOASSAY FOR CANNABINOIDS

PERVASIVE ABUSE OF MARIJUANA HAS LED TO THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF COMMERCIAL TESTS TO DETECT CANNABINOIDS IN URINE AT SITES AS DIVERSE AS MILITARY BASES, POLICE STATIONS, AND WORKPLACES. THIS PROJECT UTILIZES INNOVATIVE IMMUNOCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY TO FILL THE, AS YET, UNMET NEED FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TEST THAT CAN BE PERFORMED BY UNSKILLED PERSONNEL IN NONLABORATORY SETTINGS WITH NO SPECIAL INSTRUMENTATION. IT IS PROPOSED TO PASS URINE THROUGH A COLUMN CONTAINING ALL THE TEST MATERIALS. A COLOR WILL DEVELOP IN THE DETECTION ZONE OF THE COLUMN, THE LENGTH OF WHICH IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE CONCENTRATION OF CANNABINOIDS IN THE URINE. THE GOAL OF PHASE I IS TO PREPARE THE MATERIALS TO DEMONSTRATE TECHNOLOGY FEASIBILITY. THEN A CANNABINOID ASSAY WILL BE ASSEMBLED AND ITS PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS EVALUATED. IN PHASE II, THE ASSAY WILL BE OPTIMIZED FOR COMMERCIAL ACCEPTABILITY AND COMPLETE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS WILL THEN BE COMPLETED.