SRI International investigator awarded National Science Foundation grant for development of a revolutionary point of contact diagnostic for infectious diseases
The current world-wide COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for rapid and widespread screening for emerging infectious agents. As emerging infectious diseases can spread rapidly, government agencies have made developing detection technologies a priority.
To explore novel approaches to point-of-contact (PoCt) screening, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded SRI International a grant entitled, “RAPID: Revolutionary Massively-Parallel Bioreactions for COVID-19.” Unlike current point-of-care diagnostics, PoCt diagnostics allow routine and rapid testing at contact points such as transit points or entries to facilities. To achieve a new paradigm for diagnosis of disease—PoCt molecular diagnostics—SRI proposes a revolutionary approach: rapid planar PCR (rpPCR). This rapid, low-cost diagnostic method could radically alter how we counter pandemics such as COVID-19.
More information on the NSF award.
SRI International
SRI International creates world-changing solutions making people safer, healthier and more productive. SRI, a research center headquartered in Menlo Park, California, works primarily in advanced technology and systems, biosciences, computing and education. SRI brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, spin-off ventures and new product solutions.