Product integrated tracing tags (PITTs) platform
Nucleotrace PITTs is the only platform that offers end-to-end traceability over the entire product lifecycle - from raw ingredients to unpackaged and reconstituted products. Existing technologies are insecure because transactions recorded on a database are only a proxy for what happens in the real world. Nucleotrace PITTs addresses this insecurity by creating an unbreakable link between the virtual world of a database and the physical world of a product. When labelled materials are mixed or split, information contained in the PITTs is automatically merged or forked. Our deep analysis forensics capability also allows the detection of trace transfer events - which occur when a labelled product comes into contact with another object. PITTs are covered by multiple patent families.
> What are i-PITTs and c-PITTs kits?
Compact i-PITTs platform for field applications. Our rapid CPU encoding system permits real-time sample analysis in the field.
What are i-PITTS and c-PITTs kits?
Nucleotrace has developed labelling kits for both industrial and consumable products. Our i-PITTs kits use highly stabilised tags for defence, law enforcement, and industrial applications and have a wide range of proven use cases under extreme chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive conditions. Our consumable c-PITTs labelling are safe to to label all consumable products and have been developed for pharmaceuticals, supplementary medicines, cosmetics, and food products.
PITTs are available in a range of different labelling kits. The picture shows iPITTs marker, aerosol, liquid and powder kits. Our rapid instrument-free sample preparation protocol allows up to eight samples to be processed in the field in <25mins using only a laptop and USB device.
What is the PITTs workflow?
All PITTs kits use the same labelling and testing workflows.
1. Label. Labelling is performed by scanning an application kit barcode, appending relevant event information, and applying the PITT to the material of interest.
1 min
2. Sample. Sampling is performed by scanning swab DM code, appending relevant event information, and swabbing the material of interest.
1 min
3. Test and report. Samples are prepared using our instrument-free isothermal preparation kits. Up to eight samples may be analysed in a single testing run. If the same PITT is used to label multiple objects/materials, resulting in multiple potential matches, the user is prompted to assess these matches based on information recorded during labelling and sampling events.
20 min
Why are PITTs unique?
Safe. Very small amounts of DNA are used which suitable for consumable products and pharmaceuticals.
Compliance. Meets core objectives outlined in the Drug Supple Chain Security Act (DSCSA) and FDA/APEC Supply Chain Toolkit.
Secure. PITTs create and unbreakable link between product, package and database (centralised, decentralised or distributed).
Coverage. 100% unbroken supply chain coverage from raw ingredients to finished product.
Product-integrated information. When a product is mixed or split information is automatically merged or forked.
Multiple tag identification An unlimited number of PITTs can be identified (not just authenticated) in each sample. Many other technologies can only authenticate one identifier/tag per sample.
Contract transferrable. PITTs are transferred upon contact, permitting deep forensic sample analysis.
Rapid parallel sample processing. Up to eight samples can be prepared and decoded in <25 minutes on a laptop or smartphone (using CPU processing only).
Portable testing. Compatible with nanopore DNA sequencing will soon permit real-time smartphone based sample processing without the need for laboratory access.
What are the advantages of PITTs over competing technologies?
Why are PITTs better than other DNA tracing technologies?
Nucleotrace uses fundamentally different chemistry, different DNA-encoding approaches, and nanopore sequencing to offer a step change in DNA tracing technology.
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Product-integrated and surface labelling. PITTs tag may be integrated into powders and liquids or applied to surfaces.
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No specialist expertise required. Instrument-free sample preparation requires similar expertise as a RAT test.
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Rapid CPU sample processing. Our soft-decision DNA encoding system permits rapid real-time sample analysis using CPU processing only (not GPU). Up to eight samples can be decoded in parallel on a laptop in 20 seconds.
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Field compatible. Labelling, sampling, and testing may be carried out in the field.
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CBNRE compatible. Our labelling formulations stabilise the encoded PITTs against Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological, and Explosive (CBNRE) conditions. This includes resistance to:
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Temperature: transient exposure to 2,500oC or four hours at 150oC
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pH: range of pH 1-13
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Radiation: tested to 15 kGy gamma irradiation
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Chemical attack: resistant to most chemicals
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Biological attack: all DNases
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Tier 4 tracing capability. Nucleotrace is the only Tier 4 tracing technology. This means that we can identify any subset of labelled materials in a pool of two or more labelled materials in the same sample, for multiple samples simultaneously.
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What advantages do PITTs offer over spectral technologies?
Spectral identifiers can only be used to label surfaces and cannot be mixed. In contrast, DNA is:
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Suitable for surface and product-integrated labelling
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Non-toxic and may be used to label consumable products and pharmaceuticals
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Decodable when two or more tags/identifiers are mixed together
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Detectable when transferred onto another object/material
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Compatible with signal-to-noise based forensic sample analysis
These key differences open up a much wider range of use cases for DNA-based tracing systems.
Why are PITTs DNA-based?
Unlike other information storage media DNA is safe and may be added to consumable products, including pharmaceuticals. Additionally, DNA will always be relevant because all life on Earth is DNA-based. This provides a strong incentive to continue to improve DNA synthesis and sequencing technologies. Twenty years ago it cost more than $1 billion to sequence the human genome - today it is less than $1,000 and performed on a smartphone-size USD device. Nucleotrace will continue to leverage these advances and only get better.