Updated: September 20, 2020 5:55:15 pm
Covid-19 testing in progress at the MHADA colony of Maharashtra Nagar in Mumbai (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
An accurate and inexpensive Paper test strip for Covid-19 in less than 30 minutes it has been approved for commercial launch by the Comptroller General of Drugs of India. Developed by an investigation team led by Debojyoti Chakraborty and Souvik Maiti from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Tata Group, the test has been named ‘Feluda’, a fictional West Bengal private detective created by the renowned writer and filmmaker Satyajit. Lightning. The development comes at a time when India has been conducting an average of 10 lakh of daily testing.
What is the new Feluda Covid-19 test?
Feluda, the acronym for FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay, uses indigenously developed CRISPR gene editing technology to identify and target the genetic material of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19. According to CSIR, the test matches the precision levels of RT-PCR tests, considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of Covid-19, has a faster response time and requires less expensive equipment.
“The Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) test, promoted by CSIR-IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) FELUDA, has met the high quality reference parameters, with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 98% for the detection of new coronaviruses, ”said a CSIR statement. Furthermore, ‘Feluda’ is also the world’s first diagnostic test that implements a specially adapted Cas9 protein to successfully detect the virus.
The CSIR research team created the new test kit while working under the sickle cell mission for genome diagnostics and therapeutics. They soon realized that the technology could be leveraged to rapidly develop a new diagnostic test for Covid-19.
What is CRISPR technology?
CRISPR, short for Regularly Interspaced Clustered Short Palindromic Repeats, is a gene editing technology and is used to correct genetic defects and treat and prevent the spread of disease. CRISPR technology can detect specific DNA sequences within a gene and uses an enzyme that works like molecular scissors to cut it. It also allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify the function of genes. Additionally, the technology can also be configured to detect many other pathogens in the future.
The United States had granted emergency use approval of the world’s first CRISPR-based test for Covid-19, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, in May.
How does the Feluda Covid-19 test work?
The Feluda test is similar to a pregnancy test strip that will simply change color upon detection of the virus and can be used in a simple pathology laboratory. According to Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty, the Cas9 protein has a barcode to interact with the SARS-CoV2 sequence in the patient’s genetic material. The Cas9-SARS-CoV2 complex is then placed on the paper strip, where the use of two lines (one control, one test) makes it possible to determine if the test sample was infected with Covid-19.
What is the cost of the Feluda test? How does it compare to other tests?
The ‘Feluda’ test costs almost Rs 500, while the RT-PCR test now costs between Rs 1,600 and Rs 2,000. Antibody tests, which can give results in 20-30 minutes, cost between Rs 500-600. Meanwhile, a rapid antigen test kit, which interprets a positive or negative test in 30 minutes, costs Rs 450. The TruNat test provides results in 60 minutes and a kit comes for around Rs 1,300.
In March, only RT-PCR testing centers were available. Subsequently, ICMR approved the cartridge-based tests such as TrueNat, CBNAAT, Abbott and Roche. In June, the rapid antigen kits were approved for testing.
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