BRH 5 MIN TEST6 Aug 2020 12:39
Professor Carl Smythe commented "We continue to make progress in the development of this novel approach to testing for Coronavirus. A key requirement is the ability to deliver a test result with very fast turnaround. The current gold standard uses PCR which involves repeated rounds of enzyme-catalysed production of DNA corresponding to known viral genes, a process that takes several hours, and requires access to highly specialised lab equipment. Other approaches have begun to be rolled out (see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/roll-out-of-2-new-rapid-coronavirus-tests-ahead-of-winter). These, while avoiding specialised equipment, nonetheless also target viral genes, generating a positive signal via an enzyme-catalysed reaction, which takes 1.5 hours. This of necessity reduces the number of tests that can be performed in any one day. Our approach, in which viral attachment to affinity macromolecules may be imaged directly using a highly sensitive detection system, has the potential both to undertake many tests in parallel, as well as delivering results in minutes, all without the need for trained health professionals for their operation.