Connect with us

Headlines of The Day

A rapid Omicron-test from Gujarat’s state-owned GBRC

As Omicron continues to be a threat due to high transmissibility, the need for faster, accurate and cost-effective test kits to detect the new variant has become more pronounced. And the latest to develop a cost-effective test to identify Omicron (B.1.1.529) are the scientists at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Gandhinagar.

They have developed a cost-effective polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing methods to accurately detect the presence of Omicron in the given sample, and in less time.

Speaking to Businessline, Dr Chaitanya G Joshi, Director, GBRC said, “The main purpose of developing this methodology of testing is to detect the presence of Omicron variant in the travellers in a faster manner. This will make it easier for authorities to separate those infected with Omicron from the non-Omicron Covid positive cases and take required measures.”

Joshi added, “This test would be very useful in the remote places, where RTPCR or NGS is not available. This is a simple routine PCR test,” said Joshi.

The Gujarat Government’s Department of Science and Technology has asked the GBRC to inform the country’s apex medical research body – Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and share the protocol for validation. “GBRC has been asked to share the details with the ICMR and get it validated. And through ICMR, it get shared with all other labs across the country so as to make the variant identification faster and cost-effective,” said a senior official. Currently, the whole genome-sequencing (WGS) method for identification of the Omicron variant from a sample takes about 4-7 days depending on the batches.

ICMR-RMRC testing kit
Meanwhile, ICMR – Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh- Assam has also come up with a testing kit that detects the new Covid variant in about two hours. The kit, developed by ICMR-RMRC based on Reverse transcription – RT-PCR method, requires a high-end RT-PCR machine at the lab.

GBRC, on the other hand, has developed a simpler – PCR method – to test the samples, which are collected in a swab as being practised now. This method takes about 5-7 hours to find out if the sample is positive for Omicron variant. Scientists at GBRC informed that the PCR protocol is relatively simple and widely popular in the molecular biology. Also, this will bring down the cost of identifying Omicron, significantly.

The Government is currently not looking at the commercialisation of the technology, rather it is looking to share the protocol with the ICMR for validation and subsequently to share with the laboratories to make it widely accessible.

India’s current Omicron tally has reached 65 as on December 15 with presence across States including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh. The Hindu BusinessLine

Copyright © 2024 Medical Buyer

error: Content is protected !!