COLAB20/10
Research project
Open procedure (Application submission deadline: 01/12/2020 - 01/12/2022)
Description
The project entitled: Search for diagnostic markers of SARS-CoV-2 for developing a rapid test device for early detection and monitoring the infection.
This proposal is based on the development of target-based point of care devices. In this project, the target has been set to detect SARS-CoV-2 as it is a global emergency.
Currently, at the COVID-19 era, the medical devices & digital health sector can help save lives by providing innovative healthcare solutions regarding diagnosis, prevention, monitoring and treatment of disease. In this context, this activity merges the innovation of a new medical device based on optical fiber with ultrasensitive plasmonic nanosensors; the innovation of using external viral RNA for detecting the virus without the need for PCR and, the innovation of using the mammalian cells viral receptor ACE-2 specific to the coat viral protein S1 for the early, sensitive and specific diagnosis of the disease.
In this project, the integration of sensors and microfluidic technology with the specific SARS-CoV-2 biomarkers will allow the early, sensitive and specific detection of the virus.
The use of this device will offer multiple advantages. On the one hand, it will allow the monitoring of people who have been in contact with infected individuals, which will facilitate, in the event of being infected, their treatment from the beginning of the infection, without having to wait for them to manifest clinical symptoms. On the other hand, the early detection of the infection will prevent them from becoming instruments of contagion, which is a key factor for the containment of the virus.
The tests performed by this device, unlike the current rapid tests, can eventually replace the RT-PCR test, so that the current detection range will be extended to high-risk groups and even to the general population. In addition, its low cost makes it possible to use it repeatedly after infection, which will cover the window periods of current rapid tests very effectively.
The project benefits from the synergistic activity of three research teams at the University of the Basque Country that joined efforts to apply a high impact and emerging field, Lab-on-a-chip and chemical sensing, to rapid diagnostics of COVID19 disease. The three merging consolidated groups are: Parasitology and Immunoallergy Group (PI). specialised in applied proteomics and immunological diagnosis; Microfluidics and BiOMICS Cluster UPV/EHU (B&M), specialised in genomics, molecular biology and microfluidics and, Applied Photonics Group, AFG specialized in photonics and telecommunication engineering.
Budget
€27000