IISc startup develops RT-PCR test kit that delivers results in just 2 hours
In a bid to tackle COVID-19 and ramp up the number of tests being done on a daily basis, a startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has developed an indigenous RT-PCR diagnostic kit for accurate diagnosis of COVID-19. The test kit, approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been authorized for use in COVID-19 diagnostic labs. Unlike other RT-PCR tests, this test takes about 1.5 hours to confirm the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in samples. As per Utpal Tatu, professor in the Department of Biochemistry of IISc and founder of Equine Biotech, the startup has been working on testing for corona virus infections for many years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The kit has 100% specificity and the company is seeking to license the test kit. The company is also looking to work with med-tech companies for mass producing, marketing and distribution of the kits.