Rutgers' Latest Innovation in the Fight against COVID-19
Rapid Diagnostic Test for Virus Variants
What’s different about the Rutgers COVID-19 variant test? It cuts from days to hours the time it takes to obtain results. Rutgers shared this latest innovation on an open-source basis to serve the greater good, enabling swift, responsive test modifications as new variants emerge, with more than 1,000 downloads to date.
The new rapid test is easy to set up and can be adapted for labs that use varying types of equipment and methods. The open-source test is free to use as described or modify as needed.
“This rapid test was developed and tested over a few weeks in a crash program to respond to a serious public health need,” said David Alland, director of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) Public Health Research Institute and professor and chief of infectious disease at NJMS. “Despite our hurry to get the test completed, it performed extremely well. We hope that this test will help in the control of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic.”
Pictured: David Alland