• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Sunday, September 7, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

For quick COVID-19 testing, iSCAN can

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
November 5, 2020
in Science News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: © 2020 Ali et al.

A simple COVID-19 test kit combines virus amplification with a CRISPR-Cas system for effective SARS-CoV-2 detection. The kit, called iSCAN, uses reagents that can be locally manufactured.

“Our whole iSCAN procedure can be completed in less than an hour and can be easily adopted as a point-of-care detection system at airports and borders,” says KAUST Ph.D. student Ahmed Mahas.

The current gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 testing is the PCR test, in which DNA primers recognize specific RNA sequences in the viral genome that are then copied using a specific enzyme. This “amplification” process makes it easier to detect the originally small amounts of viral RNA present in the nasopharyngeal swabs taken from patients. This test can reliably detect if a person really has the virus without providing too many false positive or negative results. But it needs highly skilled personnel to conduct the test, which is done in multiple steps in central laboratories with sophisticated equipment.

iSCAN, developed by a team led by KAUST bioengineer Magdy Mahfouz overcomes many of the disadvantages of the PCR test while providing relatively trustworthy results.

Significantly, the test’s reagents were manufactured at KAUST. This includes the enzymes needed for amplification and another enzyme that specifically detects viral sequences within the copied material. The availability of reagents and equipment has been a huge obstacle since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To use iSCAN, the contents from a patient’s sample, collected with a nasopharyngeal swab, are placed in a small test tube containing the DNA primers and enzymes that can amplify SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The contents are incubated at a temperature of 62 degrees Celsius for half an hour. This process is referred to as RT-LAMP. Once enough viral RNA is amplified, a droplet containing the enzyme Cas12 is added to the mix and left for another 15 minutes. This enzyme only recognizes viral RNA belonging to SARS-CoV-2, overcoming an issue with RT-LAMP, where false amplification and cross-contamination can be a problem.

Finally, one of two methods can be used to visualize the result. One involves shining ultraviolet light on the sample, with a detector analyzing the light coming out from it to report the amount of viral RNA. The other approach involves inserting specially designed strips into the tubes, similar to those used in pregnancy tests. Both approaches work well, although the ultraviolet light method provided more accurate results.

The scientists tested their kit on synthesized viral RNA and on real patient samples. “We are now improving and simplifying our system for users in order to commercialize our iSCAN detection kit,” says KAUST research scientist Zahir Ali.

###

Media Contact
Michael Cusack
[email protected]

Original Source

https://discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/article/1045/for-quick-covid-19-testing,-iscan-can

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198129

Tags: Biomedical/Environmental/Chemical EngineeringBiotechnologyDiagnosticsHealth Care Systems/ServicesInfectious/Emerging DiseasesMedicine/HealthPublic HealthVirology
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Targeting LncRNA938/TAF9/TTK Axis Enhances Hepatoblastoma Treatment

September 7, 2025
blank

Refining Bat Species Identification with VGG16-CBAM

September 7, 2025

Promising Outcomes from First-in-Human Trial of DLL3-Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate SHR-4849 in Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer

September 7, 2025

Phase 2 IDeate-Lung01 Trial Shows Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Achieves High Response Rates in Previously Treated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

September 7, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Breakthrough in Computer Hardware Advances Solves Complex Optimization Challenges

    150 shares
    Share 60 Tweet 38
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    116 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • First Confirmed Human Mpox Clade Ib Case China

    56 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • A Laser-Free Alternative to LASIK: Exploring New Vision Correction Methods

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
>

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Targeting LncRNA938/TAF9/TTK Axis Enhances Hepatoblastoma Treatment

Refining Bat Species Identification with VGG16-CBAM

Promising Outcomes from First-in-Human Trial of DLL3-Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate SHR-4849 in Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.