A 20 minute molecular diagnostic of COVID-19 within a “swab”

The research project will find optimal conditions for instrument-free, fast, and sensitive/specific detection of pathogen (COVID-19). The project is composed in two units(IU), each module within IU is offering independent technical solution for the current bottleneck in diagnostics industry. The first module is temperature-based denaturation of biological sample, coupled with nucleic acid-based detection (IU1). The second module is composed of specific amplification of biomarker for intended target/s, (instrument free) and the last module is colorimetric detection of amplified biomarker. These steps are essential for building universal diagnostic device which is projected to haveas high quality performance, as current state-if-the-art techniques, but is also fast (20 minutes) and does not require any additional technological setting. The partner organisation will use the technical solution provided by this project and generate it’s own, in-house, nucleic acid isolation/purification/detection techniques.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ivan Brukner;Matthew Oughton

Student:

Alex Resendes

Partner:

Pharmascience

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

University:

McGill University

Program: