Development of bead-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG in a multiplex POCT platform

COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease that is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. RT-qPCR is a nucleic acid testing that is widely adapted to confirm the infection. Point-of-care IgM/IgG testing strips have been adopted in some countries for screening and surveillance. However, these antibody testing strips are restricted to a positive/negative testing result. Because COVID-19 infection is a dynamic process with variation of the levels of virus antigen and antibodies, a quantitative testing of IgM/IgG antibodies is valuable and it could significantly improve the accuracy of diagnosis. IgM/IgG testing may provide critical information to support the building of contact tracing infrastructures and accelerate the incremental reopening of economical and civil activities. This project focuses on developing a bead-based immunoassay system for the simultaneous and quantitative measurement of human IgM and IgG specific to SARS-CoV-2. The efficient implementation of this project will be the foundation for the future development of a universal multiplexed point-of-care diagnostic platform.

Faculty Supervisor:

James Stewart Aitchison

Student:

Xilong Yuan

Partner:

Thinkari Research Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto