Improving Q-RT-PCR screening for COVID-19 by tracking viral variants

This project will extend on our labs initial findings that current q-RT-PCR based screening strategies for COVID-19 patients can fall within variant regions of the SARS-CoV2 viral sequence and may potentially lead to false negative results. This project, in collaboration with BioXplor will lead to the development of online bioinformatics tool that will allow tracking of viral mutations as they evolve as well as optimal primer design for testing assays that avoid hotspot mutations leading to more robust and accurate patients screening. BioXplor will then assist in the dissemination of these user-friendly bioinformatics tools to the greater COVID-19 research community in both Industry and Academia that are manufacturing COVID-19 test kits.

Faculty Supervisor:

Neil Watkins;Jody Haigh

Student:

Carlos Farkas Pool

Partner:

BioXplor Inc

Discipline:

Pharmacy / Pharmacology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Manitoba