Development of SARS-CoV2 diagnostic rapid test kit

In this project, University of Tartu together with Selfdiagnostics GmbH applies its proprietary Non Instrumented Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology (NINAAT) for point-of-care diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in patient samples. The technology allows specific RNA target detection directly from minimally processed biological samples without prior nucleic acid extraction. The project outcome, a SARS-CoV-2 RNA test decentralizes the current gold-standard viral RNA detection in patient samples, making it more accessible due to on-site application and short turn-around-time (<30 min). The test allows detection of virus RNA before antibodies and symptoms occur. Simple enough to be applied by untrained professional without complex instrumentation, our test eliminates delays due to logistics. Moreover, after additional development, it can be integrated into self-testing home-use device, opening unprecedented availability to broader testing capacity outside centralised labs.