In December 2019 the World Health Organisation received the first reports of a previously unknown virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Professor Rob Field, OpenPlant PI and Iceni Diagnostics cofounder.

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are known to infect both humans and animals and cause a range of respiratory illnesses. The main symptoms of the virus outbreak, known as COVID19, include a fever and a continuous cough but in severe cases the disease can cause pneumonia and bronchitis which can cause death in some cases.

The COVID19 outbreak has seemingly brought the world to its knees with many countries enforcing lockdown measures to reduce transmission rates and with over 32,000 deaths reported in the UK alone.

The scientific community has been fast to react to the novel outbreak, with the virus genome being discovered and published within the first four weeks of its detection. Now scientists across the globe are working to develop vaccines and diagnostic tools that help detect the virus.

With vaccine production and mass manufacture being lengthy and costly, many scientists are turning to developing diagnostic tests that can help in the bid to slow the transmission rate and spread of the disease at the point of care.

Many of the current COVID19 tests are largely based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that requires laboratory setting for analysis and knowledge of the virus’s genetic code.

However, Iceni Diagnostics, an OpenPlant spin off company based in Norwich are developing a new approach that identifies the virus using sugar (glycon) recognition instead of the viral genetic code, which can mutate.

Iceni Diagnostics existing prototype for influenza can detect the virus in less than 20 minutes, OpenPlant PI Professor Rob Field and his team are now working on adapting this test to detect the COVID19 virus.

The innovative handheld device requires a sample of saliva and uses lateral flow to give a simple positive or negative result. An important design feature is that it will require no training to operate allowing it to be used in any location by any individual.

To find out more about Iceni Diagnostics and their efforts to combat COVID19 visit their website here.