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. 2010 Feb;98(2):209-17.
doi: 10.1097/HP.0b013e3181ab3cb6.

The RABIT: a rapid automated biodosimetry tool for radiological triage

Guy Garty  1 , Youhua Chen, Alessio Salerno, Helen Turner, Jian Zhang, Oleksandra Lyulko, Antonella Bertucci, Yanping Xu, Hongliang Wang, Nabil Simaan, Gerhard Randers-Pehrson, Y Lawrence Yao, Sally A Amundson, David J Brenner
Affiliations

The RABIT: a rapid automated biodosimetry tool for radiological triage

Guy Garty et al. Health Phys. 2010 Feb.

Abstract

In response to the recognized need for high throughput biodosimetry methods for use after large-scale radiological events, a logical approach is complete automation of standard biodosimetric assays that are currently performed manually. The authors describe progress to date on the RABIT (Rapid Automated BIodosimetry Tool), designed to score micronuclei or gamma-H2AX fluorescence in lymphocytes derived from a single drop of blood from a fingerstick. The RABIT system is designed to be completely automated, from the input of the capillary blood sample into the machine to the output of a dose estimate. Improvements in throughput are achieved through use of a single drop of blood, optimization of the biological protocols for in situ analysis in multi-well plates, implementation of robotic-plate and liquid handling, and new developments in high-speed imaging. Automating well-established bioassays represents a promising approach to high-throughput radiation biodosimetry, both because high throughputs can be achieved, but also because the time to deployment is potentially much shorter than for a new biological assay. Here the authors describe the development of each of the individual modules of the RABIT system and show preliminary data from key modules. System integration is ongoing, followed by calibration and validation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Irradiated lymphocytes on RABIT filter membranes: A) the γ-H2AX assay: here the large blue blob corresponds to the nucleus, and the orange foci correspond to DNA double-strand breaks; the total amount of orange fluorescence is the measured quantity. B) The micronucleus assay: here the orange blob is the cytoplasm, the two large blue blobs are divided binucleates, and the small blue blob is a micronucleus.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a) Schematic of RABIT layout; b) breadboard prototype; c) prototype transfer-to- substrate system; d) prototype imaging system.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a) A barcoded capillary from the RABIT system. b) A 32 capillary holder from the RABIT, loaded with blood-filled capillaries in Arizona and then shipped to New York. As seen in three capillaries shown outside the holder, a good layering of blood and separation medium was seen after this transport exercise. c) A capillary after automated centrifuging, showing good separation between the lymphocyte band and the red blood cells.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Current RABIT protocols for the micronucleus assay (left) and the γ-H2AX assay (right).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
RABIT image analysis. Top: γ-H2AX analysis: a) imaged nuclei; b) imaged γ-H2AX fluorescence; c) γ-H2AX fluorescence integrated within the boundaries of each nucleus (green line). Bottom: Micronuclei analysis: d) imaged nuclei; e) imaged cytoplasm; f) nucleus and cytoplasm images are binarized, subtracted, and “holes” scored.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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