BRH30 Oct 2020 16:47
A reminder -
The test will utilise a highly sensitive light-based detection system coupled with a molecular 'affinity' device to capture Covid-19 virus particles. The required affinity macromolecule (an aptamer which binds to the Spike glycoprotein on the surface of the virus) is now being synthesised for Paraytec by a UK university-based laboratory and will be supplied imminently.
The company will work with Professor Carl Smythe's group at the University of Sheffield, which has expertise in the field of synthetic bio-molecular sensors. The test will combine the use of the Covid-19 capture aptamer with a biomolecular signal generator configured to emit light in the presence of the pathogen, making it visible to Paraytec's detector.
The project aims to develop a portable test capable of generating a result in a matter of minutes from a swab provided at the test location and which requires no specialist skills for its operation.
If successful, it could be used in airports, transport hubs, large workplaces and similar settings, where rapid screening of large numbers of people is required.
Paraytec is owned by Braveheart Investment Group