Women scientists at BHU develop low-cost method to detect coronavirus
Associate Professor Geeta Rai and her students have developed a novel test method that can detect coronavirus within 4 to 6 hours.
A group of women scientists at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has developed a new testing method for coronavirus. The scientists at the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, BHU, claim to have developed a novel test method with 100 percent accuracy.
Led by Associate Professor, Geeta Rai and three of her students - Doli Das, Khushbu Priya and Hiral Thacker, the team has found a low-cost testing method that can provide results within hours. Geeta says that the testing method can provide results within 4 to 6 hours, whereas most testing kits take up to 24 hours to detect the virus.
The novel-test method is based on Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) for COVID-19. The team has already patented the method.
Geeta Rai says that RT PCR, a qualitative based detection method guarantees accuracy and rapid detection and no further requirement for a probe or high cost machines is required.
"Through this low-cost method, the results would be available within a few hours. We have got this method patented and approached the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for further guidance and support in the matter so that it can be taken to the masses,” Geeta told various media houses.
Geeta and her students worked for over a month to develop the method and is hopeful that the new method will provide a rapid diagnosis and help in the fight against the virus.
According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of confirmed cases have crossed the 4,000 mark and 109 people have died from the coronavirus.
Explaining the effectiveness of the method, she says, “We have identified a part of COVID-19’s genetic sequence which is unique to this virus only. And based on Reverse Transcriptase we have synthesised some primers which target only this region of the virus.” The testing method only probes protein sequences that are targeted by the virus.
The government had requested startups, incubators and the scientific community to help in the fight against the coronavirus and multiple people and organisations have come forward to help.
(Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan)