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Researchers at Princeton and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are developing a fast, easy way to diagnose many viral infections. The technology uses only a nasal swab, a tube and no special equipment or training — much like at-home tests used to diagnose COVID-19.
The new tool, still under development, can already detect influenza A or influenza B virus infections in clinical samples, with accuracy comparable to gold-standard molecular tests but in a fraction of the time. The team also generated tests that can discern between the common H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes of seasonal influenza virus, as well as a version that can determine whether the virus has a mutation that confers resistance to the drug Oseltamivir (better known as Tamiflu). They hope to develop additional tests for swine and avian flu strains, such as H5N1.
“Our ultimate goal is to make [this test] as easy to perform as a rapid antigen test, so that it will be easy for people to do self-testing at home,” said Cameron Myhrvold, assistant professor of molecular biology and Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute faculty member. He is co-author of a June 18 paper in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics that details the new tool.
This story was adapted from “Myhrvold lab: Finding what ails thee - a new technology for fast, easy diagnosis of viral infections” by Caitlin Sedwick, for the Department of Molecular Biology.