Irvine, California, Aug. 19; 2020 – A robust, low-cost imaging platform using lab-on-a-chip technology, developed by the University of California, Irvine scientists could be available at the end of the year for rapid diagnostics and antibodies to coronavirus nationwide.
The UCI system can go a long way towards the deployment of a vaccine for COVID-19 and the opening of the economy, as both widespread tests are needed for the virus and its antibodies. So far, antibody testing in the US has been too inaccurate as expensive to reach the required figures.
But UCI researchers Weian Zhao, Per Niklas Hedde, Enrico Gratton and Philip Felgner believe their new technology can help speed up the testing process quickly and affordably. Their discovery appears in the magazine Lab on a chip, which is published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
“We have to test millions of people every day, and we are very far from that,” said Hedde, a project scientist in pharmaceutical sciences and lead author of the study. “This accurate test platform enables public health managers to implement individualized mitigation strategies needed to safely open up the country and economy.”
How it works
Using finger prick blood, the UCI test tests hundreds of anti-antibody responses to 14 respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in just two to four hours. Identifying responses to viral infections with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 will keep hospitals clearly aware of patients with standard colds and flu.
The results are printed on a low cost imaging platform. The TinyArray imager combines a 3D-printed prototype with an off-the-shelf LED and a small 5-megapixel camera to simultaneously find markers for many antibodies. This provides accuracy similar to that of expensive imaging systems, but makes the platform portable enough to deploy anywhere – at a cost of only $ 200.
The same device can also process the results of frequently used nasal swab tests for SARS-CoV-2, so that patients can be tested for COVID-19 and its antibodies on one platform.
Currently, most antibody tests only check for one or two antigens, the foreign substances that cause the body to make antibodies.
“A month or two ago, testing was kind of considered the Wild West,” said Zhao, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences, adding that most SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests “just aren’t accurate.”
Systems that test for the full range of antibodies needed for reliable results require imaging machines that cost $ 10,000 to $ 100,000 and are too bulky for wide-ranging use. Areas without the means to obtain one of these machines must send their samples to external labs for testing, which means results take days instead of hours.
Great impact
Large-scale tests will determine what percentage of the population had COVID-19 but never showed symptoms, which will have a major impact on public health decisions and resuscitation.
“What if it turns out that a larger percentage of the people in a community have already contracted the virus?” Zhao sei. “This means you are closer to achieving herd immunity.”
And understanding what antibodies are being produced and how long they will last will be the key in developing an effective vaccine and administering the right dose. This can be critical for years as the virus mutates, requiring updates such as annual flu vaccinations.
The UCI team has already completed 5,000 tests in Orange County, and the ultimate goal is to test 20,000 samples per unit per day. The researchers join UCI startups Velox Biosystems Inc. and Nanommune Inc. to increase production. They expect the TinyArray imager by the end of 2020 to be ready to deploy in the US and work with scientists in Uruguay, Russia and Thailand to develop similar systems for their peoples.
“This would be great for a country with a low income,” Hedde said. “Because the materials of the device are inexpensive and easy to obtain, the platform is easy to manufacture and use in low-resource areas, making testing accessible on a global scale.”
Aarti Jain, Rie Nakajima, Rafael Ramiro de Assis, Trevor Pearce, Algis Jasinskas and Saahir Khan of UCI, along with Timothy Abram and Melody Toosky of Velox Biosystems participated in the study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health ( grants P41 GM103540 and R01 AI117061) and a UCI CRAFT-COVID grant.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel Prizes and is known for its academic achievements, major research, innovation and anteater mask. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It is located in one of the safest and most economically viable communities in the world and is the second largest employer in Orange County, contributing $ 5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
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