Jul 08, 2021 |
Instant COVID sensor to prevent outbreaks and protect communities
(Nanowerk News) RMIT University is collaborating with partners including Australian biomedical start-up Soterius on the biosensor, which can detect the presence of tiny amounts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants.
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Reliable, accurate and non-invasive, the Soterius Scout sensor can deliver results within a minute to provide the all-clear for someone to enter their work environment or alert them if they need to undertake a medical COVID test and self-isolate.
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The successful prototype is now being further developed by Soterius in partnership with RMIT, MIP Diagnostics, the Burnet Institute, D+I and Vestech, towards commercial release early 2022.
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The technology will be manufactured in Australia and will initially be delivered to hospitals, with future applications in other essential worker and high-traffic settings including aged care, quarantine hotels, airports and schools.
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Soterius co-founder Dr Alasdair Wood said emerging environmental viral sensors were bulky, energy intensive and can detect only one type of virus.
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"Our biosensor is so small it can fit on a personal fob card and it's easy to use - you just need to swipe your card over a reader at checkpoints," Wood said.
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"Importantly, one sensor can detect up to 8 viral strains and our technology can be easily adapted to detect new variants or novel viruses as they emerge.
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"We hope the Soterius Scout biosensor could be a vital tool for managing COVID-19, providing accurate early detection to prevent outbreaks and avoid the need for future lockdowns."
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Prototype tests conducted at RMIT, in partnership with Burnet Institute, reveal the Soterius Scout biosensor detects SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fragments with impressive accuracy and no false positives.
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The technology can detect COVID-19 even if someone is asymptomatic.
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Trials also show the sensor has potential to become a top performing diagnostic tool for respiratory illnesses and it is now being scaled to detect other diseases such as influenza and MERS.
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The sensor harnesses nanotechnology-enabled biosensors developed by RMIT researchers at its leading-edge Micro Nano Research Facility. The biosensors technology is covered in a patent application filed by RMIT, with the integrated system the subject of a patent application subsequently filed by Soterius.
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RMIT project leader Professor Sharath Sriram said the collaboration would accelerate the translation of RMIT research into vital new technologies.
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"As the fourth lockdown in Melbourne shows, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon and we need smart solutions to help us detect the virus and contain outbreaks," Sriram said.
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"It is exciting to see our platform sensor technology at the core of this smart new solution for the management of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses in workplaces, to help protect our frontline workers and the wider community."
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