Novel, high-throutyput platform for rapid identification, quantintation, differential diagnosis, and resistance testing

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/402870

Funding Status
Closed

Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the .

Funded Activity Summary

This proposal utilizes a newly invented process (multiplex tandem polymerase chain reaction, MT-PCR) to measure multiple (up to 100) genetic targets (eg RNA or DNA) in one sample. A range of different virus and bacterial genes can be detected, including those which make the influenza virus different (eg H1N1 or H5N1) and allow it to bypass vaccine immunity or resist drug therapy (due to neuraminidase inhibitor resistance). We will simultaneously target infections which are influenza-like (ILI) or which might make influenza infection worse (eg staphylococcal pneumonia) as well as their resistance genes (eg MRSA). The test is rapid and automated and includes a specimen processing (DNA and RNA extraction) function that is being developed in parallel. We expect to be able to conduct high-throughput screening of multiple samples for a limited number of targets or conduct multiple tests on fewer specimens, simply by adjusting assay configuration. Measurement of the rise and fall in concentrations of influenza virus in infected persons will allow us to understand when they are no longer infectious to others, to predict when they are getting better or worse, and allow us to better understand the pattern of illness in people who are immunized against influenza or on drug therapy, or are in some other special category (eg immune compromise due to organ transplantation). While this will be able to be rolled out by our industry partners in the event of an influenza pandemic, it does not require an outbreak for successful development, and has value well beyond influenza diagnosis.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Strategic Awards

Funding Amount: $333,362.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical Biotechnology Diagnostics (incl. Biosensors)

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Epidemiology | Influenza | Quantitation | Rapid diagnosis | Resistance

Related Links