Food allergies affect an estimated 220 million people worldwide and send a patient to the emergency room every 10 seconds in the United States. Despite this growing burden, diagnostic options have changed little in recent decades. Traditional methods are associated with several safety and ethical limitations, and there is a need for improved approaches.
One promising alternative is the next-generation basophil activation test (BAT)*, which uses a single blood draw and flow cytometry to assess allergic responses without exposing patients to allergens.
Technology Networks spoke with Dr. Jean-Marc Busnel, principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, to learn more about the BAT and how it is being translated toward clinical use.
Anna MacDonald (AM):
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
What are the current standard diagnostic tools for food allergies? What risks and ethical concerns are associated with these traditional methods?
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD (JMB):
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
Traditionally, diagnosing food allergies has relied on a handful of established tools, each presenting its own set of challenges. The oral food challenge (OFC) is considered the gold standard whereby patients are exposed to gradually increasing amounts of a suspected allergen under strict medical supervision to see if symptoms develop.
While this approach provides direct evidence of clinical reactivity, it is not without significant risk. OFC can provoke severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, and is particularly daunting for parents considering the test for their children. Research from one study found that nearly a quarter of children failing OFC experienced systemic reactions and 15% of those required emergency intervention with epinephrine.
This inherent risk, combined with the stress and anxiety surrounding potential reactions often discourages participation in both diagnostic and research settings, especially for children at risk of suffering from multiple allergies.
Other commonly used methods include skin prick testing and serum-specific IgE testing, both of which identify sensitization but cannot reliably distinguish between true allergy and mere exposure. This can lead to overdiagnosis, unnecessary dietary restrictions and a reduced quality of life.
Ethical concerns also arise from the risk–benefit calculus of intentionally exposing vulnerable populations, especially children, to potential allergens. The logistical burden of requiring specialized facilities and the emotional toll on families further complicate matters. These limitations underscore the urgent need for safer, more precise and less invasive diagnostic options that minimize risk while providing reliable results.
AM:
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
Can you explain how the BAT works and its advantages over conventional testing methods?
JMB:
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
The BAT represents a significant advance in allergy testing by harnessing the power of flow cytometry. At its core, BAT works by drawing a small blood sample from the patient and exposing it, in vitro, to suspected allergens. Within the blood, basophils – a type of white blood cell central to IgE-mediated allergic reactions – become activated if the patient is allergic to the tested substance. Flow cytometry is then used to measure specific activation markers on the surface of these basophils, providing an objective, quantitative readout of the allergic response.
What sets BAT apart from conventional methods is its safety and precision. As the test is performed entirely outside the body, patients are not directly exposed to allergens – eliminating the risk of triggering dangerous reactions during the testing process. This is especially important for children and those at high risk for severe allergies.
BAT also offers a more streamlined and reproducible workflow, particularly with ready-to-use dry reagents, as seen in a multi-center study. These advances reduce manual handling, minimize variability and make the test feasible in a wider range of laboratory settings.
Unlike IgE testing, BAT provides a functional assessment – measuring how immune cells actually behave in the presence of an allergen, not just whether the immune system has encountered it before. This translates to greater specificity and fewer false positives or negatives, potentially allowing clinical researchers to replace risky oral food challenges with a simple blood draw.
AM:
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
How did winning the FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Innovation Award Diagnostic Challenge influence the development of BAT? What milestones has it helped the team achieve so far?
JMB:
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
Winning the FARE Innovation Challenge was a transformative event for the development of BAT technology. The $1 million award provided crucial support that allowed the research team to tackle some of the most persistent barriers in food allergy testing.
With these resources, the team was able to focus on simplifying, miniaturizing and automating the BAT workflow, which was key to translating a complex laboratory assay into a practical test.
One of the standout achievements enabled by this support was the development of ready-to-use, dry reagent tubes. These innovations made it possible for blood samples to be processed at room temperature and shipped without the need for refrigeration, a logistical breakthrough that broadens access to testing in both large and small clinical research centers.
The team was also able to reduce the number of manual steps required in the assay, making it more user-friendly and less prone to error.
Beyond technical milestones, the FARE award also fostered collaboration among leading academic institutions, clinicians and industry partners, accelerating the assessment of BAT in real-world settings. This collaborative environment not only improved the science but also raised the profile of BAT technology, helping to build the momentum needed for future clinical adoption.
In short, the FARE Innovation Challenge has been instrumental in moving BAT from a promising research tool to a viable solution for safer, more accessible food allergy testing.
AM:
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
How might BAT unlock new possibilities
in food allergy drug development? What barriers does it help to overcome in
clinical trials or early-phase studies?
JMB:
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
BAT technology has the potential to reshape the landscape of food allergy drug development by addressing obstacles seen in other testing methods such as OFC, skin prick testing and serum-specific IgE testing.
By providing a reliable, in vitro and scalable alternative, BAT allows researchers to safely measure patient responses to allergens and experimental therapies using only a blood sample. This means that clinical trials can enroll a broader range of participants, including those who might otherwise be excluded due to high risk.
By demonstrating the possibility to scale BAT to unprecedented levels, we further offer a unique opportunity to assess in vitro the efficacy of therapies developed for multi-food allergy.
BAT’s streamlined, automated workflow also reduces the complexity and resource requirements of allergy studies, making it feasible for more research centers to participate and accelerating the pace of innovation.
The ability to collect and ship blood samples at room temperature further lowers barriers to conducting multi-site or remote studies – an advantage for both early-phase and large-scale trials.
Functionally, BAT offers a window into the specific immune pathways activated in response to allergens or treatments. This detailed cellular insight can help identify biomarkers of treatment efficacy or predict which patients will respond best to new drugs.
In addition, the integration of AI with BAT data opens the door to discovering novel therapeutic targets and personalizing treatment strategies. By replacing risky in vivo challenges with a safe, functional assay, BAT stands to make clinical research in food allergies more inclusive, efficient and ethically sound.
AM:
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
What are the current hurdles in moving
BAT from research use to clinical adoption, and how do you plan to address
them?
JMB:
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
Despite its promise, bringing BAT from the research bench to routine clinical use faces several practical hurdles. Historically, BAT has required specialized flow cytometry equipment, technical expertise and fresh blood samples – all of which limit its accessibility outside major academic centers.
The complexity of traditional BAT workflows, involving numerous manual steps and strict handling protocols, has further restricted its use to well-resourced labs.
Addressing these challenges, recent innovations have focused on workflow simplification and standardization. The development of dry, ready-to-use reagents is a major step forward, enabling blood collection and sample processing at room temperature and reducing the need for immediate analysis or cold-chain logistics. By minimizing manual steps, these advances also decrease the risk of error and variability, making BAT more reproducible and scalable.
However, clinical adoption will also require robust validation in diverse patient populations, as well as engagement with regulatory authorities to ensure safety and efficacy are clearly demonstrated. Education will be key: clinicians, laboratory staff and patients must understand both the value and limitations of this new technology.
Collaborative efforts among researchers, industry and advocacy groups such as FARE are tackling these challenges, with the goal of making BAT a practical, accessible and trusted tool in everyday clinical practice. The hope is that, as these barriers are overcome, BAT will soon move from research settings into the mainstream of allergy diagnostics.
AM:
Senior Science Editor
Technology Networks
Anna is a senior science editor at Technology Networks. She holds a first-class honors degree in biological sciences from the University of East Anglia. Before joining Technology Networks she helped organize scientific conferences.
How do you see food allergy testing evolving in the next 5–10 years? What role will innovations like BAT play in shaping that future?
JMB:
Principal Investigator and Senior Staff Research Scientist
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jean-Marc Busnel, PhD, is principal investigator and senior staff research scientist at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He is a member of the Global Research Team and is co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed articles in
the fields of bioanalytical chemistry, metabolomics, proteomics, and whole blood-based functional flow cytometry assays.
Looking ahead, the landscape of food allergy testing is poised for dramatic transformation. Over the next 5–10 years, I anticipate a shift away from risk-laden methods such as the OFC towards safer, more precise and more accessible diagnostics.
BAT and similar in vitro technologies are at the forefront of this evolution. As workflow automation, reagent stability and AI-driven data analysis continue to mature, these tests will become more widely available – even in smaller or remote clinics that previously lacked the resources for sophisticated allergy evaluation I foresee BAT becoming an integral part of routine food allergy workups, offering clinicians a functional, objective readout of a patient’s allergic status with just a simple blood draw. The ability to process samples at room temperature and ship them without refrigeration will democratize access, enabling broader surveillance and earlier diagnosis across diverse populations.
In parallel, the increasing integration of ML and multiomic data will unlock new biomarkers and therapeutic targets – fueling the next generation of precision allergy medicine. As professional guidelines begin to incorporate these new technologies, reliance on OFCs should wane, reducing both the risk to patients and the emotional burden on families.
Ultimately, innovations like BAT are set to make allergy testing not only safer and more reliable but also more equitable – ensuring that advances in diagnosis and treatment reach all those who need them, regardless of geography or resources.
*For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
The introduction to this interview includes text that has been created with the assistance of generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing. Technology Networks’ AI policy can be found here.
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