CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Major
infectious diseases, like COVID-19, often go undetected until they
spread. Spotting the problem in a community isn't easy, in part
because infectious disease detection, which is the foundation for
surveillance and contact tracing, can take hours, if not days.
Compounding the problem is that traditional detection assays are
designed a priori while newer bio detection technologies have been
slow to move from the lab into general use.
Now scientists are developing a portable device that is easily
configurable for screening thousands of pathogens in minutes, not
hours. The device will incorporate recent advances in
biotechnology, imaging analysis and microfluidics. The aim is to
improve the speed of treatment and enhance the standard of care for
the public and to equip the military with new biosurveillance
technology.
Rachel Fezzie, a biochemist and
molecular biologist at Draper, says infectious disease detection
needs to be faster, lower in cost and field-ready. "The development
of a rapid, low-cost diagnostic device that is capable of detecting
1,000 biomarkers in one processing cycle is an important step
forward in improving infectious disease detection," Fezzie
explains. "A device with the ability to detect pathogens sooner and
in a greater variety would improve public health, add protections
for military units and provide critical information to medical
decision-makers within minutes."
Fezzie and her colleagues at Draper are developing just such a
technology as part of a team recently selected by the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Led by MRIGlobal, the
team is developing a massively multiplexed device (MMD) for DARPA's
"Detect It with Gene Editing Technologies" (DIGET) program. The
aim, says DARPA, is to incorporate gene editors into detectors for
distributed health biosurveillance and rapid, point-of-need
diagnostics for endemic, emerging and engineered pathogenic
threats.
The foundation for the MMD is DETECTR™, a CRISPR-based detection
platform developed by Mammoth Biosciences, which is a member of the
MRIGlobal team. The platform has been proven as a rapid detection
diagnosis technology that uses a gene editing molecular tool to
find a specific genetic sequence within a sample.
The MMD will incorporate several innovative technologies
developed by Draper. Fluid routing throughout the disposable
cartridge will be controlled by Draper's proprietary
electromagnetic pump and valve technology, ideal for applications
with low size, weight and power requirements. Draper's demonstrated
experience in functionalizing glass substrates and printing
compact, high-density DNA arrays will directly inform the
development path to scale Mammoth's DETECTRTM chemistry to
1,000-plex via a microarray of Cas/gRNA complexes. Each Cas/gRNA
complex is designed to detect a unique pathogen.
The MMD will also use a new approach to optical detection
through development of a miniaturized, simple, lens-free system
that has no moving parts, making it attractive for field
deployment. Reconfiguration of the microarray will be enabled by
printing array chips with new Cas/gRNA complexes, a process
expected to take 24 hours or less.
"The MMD"—according to John
Julias, Draper's program manager for DIGET—"seeks to
fundamentally alter the concept of operations for biosurveillance
and diagnostic detection by increasing throughput, sensitivity and
usability to levels unmatched by existing technologies. A single
run of the MMD promises to provide not only species- or
strain-level identification but also information on genetically
encoded characteristics such as antimicrobial resistance, as well
as gene expression data to indicate disease severity in a
person."
The projected sample-to-answer time of 15 minutes with the MMD
will enable more assays to be run in a day, allowing appropriate
action to be taken in near real-time, Fezzie explains. "Currently,
you would need next-generation sequencing to identify such a broad
a range of pathogens, and that typically takes days to perform by
highly skilled laboratory staff."
Draper's DIGET work is supported by the company's
Bioengineering, Microsystems and Advanced Material divisions, and
it is managed by its Special Programs Office.
Media Contact
Dan Dent, Draper, 617-429-2883,
ddent@draper.com
SOURCE Draper