Testing and Diagnosis
Shipping container testing labs
OpenCell.bio, King’s College London and Opentrons Labworks
OpenCell.bio, King’s College London and Opentrons Labworks have collaborated to develop a low-cost rapidly deployable COVID-19 testing lab inside a shipping container that can process 2,400 tests per day, using low-cost liquid handling robots that perform a qPCR test to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is the first fully functional lab that can be immediately deployed anywhere in the world for COVID-19 testing. This system design is open-source and the test relies on reagents and consumables that are free from the supply chain restrictions faced by other COVID-19 testing labs that require reagents from the same few suppliers.
Lacewing handheld diagnostic platform
Imperial College London and 3D Systems
Imperial College London and 3D Systems have developed a handheld diagnostic platform called ‘Lacewing’ for molecular testing of COVID-19, which can identify the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in under 30 minutes. Results are also synchronised to the cloud for epidemiological surveillance and mapping of the outbreak. Units will be produced at Hammersmith Hospital to test frontline healthcare staff and hospitalised patients as a second stage of validation.
CAR T-cell therapy deployment
Autolus Therapeutics
Autolus Therapeutics, a CAR T-cell company developing therapies in oncology, used their in-house protein engineering group highly experienced in the rapid development of antibody based therapeutic moieties. This group allocated available resource to develop novel recombinant protein therapeutic drugs which interfere with the viral entry and propagation of COVID-19, drawing on their experience of rapidly progressing clinical translation to clinical testing in critically ill patients.
Lacewing
Imperial College London and 3D Systems
Imperial College London and 3D Systems have developed a handheld diagnostic platform called ‘Lacewing’ for molecular testing of COVID-19, which can identify the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in under 30 minutes. Results are also synchronised to the cloud for epidemiological surveillance and mapping of the outbreak. Units will be produced at Hammersmith Hospital to test frontline healthcare staff and hospitalised patients as a second stage of validation.
Development, assessment and validation of point-of-care sero-diagnostics
King’s Health Partners
King’s Health Partners has engaged in the development, assessment and validation of point-of-care sero-diagnostics or antibody response at St Thomas’ Hospital, including for the Attomarker antibody test (in a partnership between Exeter and KCL/St Thomas’) – a rapid 10 min portable device that quantifies antibody levels (IgM, IgA or IgG) using gold nanoparticle-based immunoassay technology, deployable in a hand-held device ideally suited to community testing.
Using dogs for diagnosis
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and University of Durham and Medical Detection Dogs
The ARCTEC (Arthropod Control Product Test Centre) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is working in partnership with the University of Durham and Medical Detection Dogs. Led by Professor James Logan, the team are investigating the role that dogs could play in detecting and diagnosing COVID-19, after work has shown dogs are capable of detecting malaria with high accuracy.
Clinical Support in The Gambia
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSTHM)
The MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM provides and supports the only laboratory testing centre for COVID-19 in The Gambia. It is also setting up three national testing centres across the country. It also provides a clinical service and has built three mini ‘Nightingale’-like units across the country. The Unit is training medical staff and nurses for dealing with COVID-19 and is commencing production of 3D printed face shields (40 per day).
Clinical Support in Uganda
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSTHM)
The MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit is providing diagnostic support for testing (10,000 samples) and sequencing of samples in Uganda. The Unit is preparing to support clinical care and increase capacity for diagnostics and sequencing as required by the Ugandan government.
SARS-CoV-2 testing facility
UCL
In partnership with diagnostic company Health Services Laboratories (HSL), UCL is working to provide PCR antigen testing support for our NHS partners. This works closely with the COVID-19 Assay Support Lab, which was set up in the Cancer Institute to provide technical and experimental support for the UCL COVID-19 Testing, ddPCR and Assay Development Labs.
Study into infection and immunity in care home populations
King’s Health Partners
Aiming to generate estimates of the incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 in care home residents and staff and estimate the duration of immunity. The study aims to enrol approx. 5500 residents/6500 staff for serological (antibody) testing and swab testing (PCR) as part of the national testing programme. Selected care homes will undergo intensive sampling, and a subset of residents will be followed up with repeat blood antibody tests. The dataset will be linked to national data on hospital admissions and deaths.
Antibody test for multiple sclerosis treatment
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London has adapted an antibody test used in multiple sclerosis treatment, which can precisely determine how much COVID-19 antibody is present and if the antibodies can block re-infection, which will be necessary when assessing potential vaccines. In just a few days, the team produced sufficient amounts of the COVID-19 antibody test to potentially test 1.6 million people, which can be quickly adapted if the virus mutates.
90 minute COVID-19 tests
DnaNudge and Imperial College London
The UK government has placed a £161 million order for 5.8 million high-speed DnaNudge COVID-19 test kits to be used in NHS hospitals from September. This major order will see DnaNudge’s lab-free, rapid and reliable PCR test, which delivers results in under 90 minutes and can work in about an hour, rolled out nationally in urgent patient care and elective surgery settings, with further deployments in out-of-hospital settings.
REACT 2 self-test kits
Imperial College London
Antibody home testing kits could be used to help monitor the rate of COVID-19 infections in communities, says an Imperial researcher. Professor Helen Ward, Professor of Public Health at Imperial College London, is leading a national study to assess a number of rapid antibody tests for their accuracy and to see how easily people can use them at home without assistance from a healthcare professional. This is part of a national programme called REACT 2. The antibody tests can also be used to see how far the virus has spread in the population, and which areas and groups have been most affected.