Harvard’s Wyss Institute wants to create a COVID-19 antibody test strip

The iQ Group Global announced today that it has inked a collaboration with Harvard’s Wyss Institute to develop a  printable point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 antibody test with real-time results.

Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics, the iQ Group’s development company, has been working on the Australian-invented Biosensor Platform, a printable organic thin-film transistor “strip” that has the potential to provide a variety of medical tests — and even potentially replace blood glucose finger stick tests for diabetics. The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University has meanwhile created a special coating that can detect IgM and/or IgG antibodies.

A new pilot study will test the integration of the Biosensor Platform with the Wyss coating for spotting COVID-19 antibodies. The eventual goal is a chewing-gum-sized diagnostic “strip” that could be used for COVID-19 testing at point of care. The strip could be printed at low cost and produce real-time results, according to the organizations.

“Dependent on the outcomes of this research, we may be in a position to provide the global healthcare system with a point-of-care test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with the ability to provide results in minutes. If the pilot study data is positive, this test has the potential to be used as a point-of-care screening and diagnostic tool, and pre-vaccination screening tests for when a COVID-19 vaccine is made available,” Dr. George Syrmalis, CEO of The iQ Group Global, said in a news release.