Point of Care COVID-19 test27 Apr 2020 16:20
Shortened development time for developing a rapid Point of Care COVID-19 test
At Aptamer Group, we utilise state-of-the-art in-vitro techniques to rapidly isolate nucleic acid sequences (aptamers), that are engineered to bind with high selectivity to a variety of targets. These include, but are not limited to, proteins, small molecules, whole cells and even whole organisms; therefore, we can employ aptamers in the fight against COVID-19.
Aptamers are commonly referred to as chemical antibodies; however, aptamers are quicker to develop and inexpensive to synthesize meaning we can develop tests, faster and more cost effectively, allowing us to get them into the hands of people who need them sooner!
Sentinal medical BRH investee - In addition to the ongoing trials with bladder cancer patient samples, Sentinel is currently awaiting the outcome of a joint grant application with the University of Sheffield, the Aptamer Group and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for a project to look at aptamers as alternatives to antibodies for bladder cancer detection in urine. Here the aptamers will bind to the cancer cells and Sentinel's technology will be used for reporting the presence of those cells. The science team is currently assessing how this approach could be applied in a COVID-19 point-of-care detection instrument.