Author: Brett Johnson

Overview: BioSURE is a UK company specializing in the provision of rapid in-vitro diagnostic testing solutions. They focus on the development, manufacturing, and distribution of rapid tests. It developed the first CE-marked self-test for HIV in 2015. Test Name: BioSURE COVID-19 Self-Test (in partnership with Mologic) Testing Type: Lateral flow chromatography assay Technology: The BioSURE COVI-19 Self-Test will be an antibody test that will use technology that is very similar to that of a pregnancy test. The test will detect the presence of IgG antibodies to the COVID-19 virus, not COVID-19 itself. The BioSURE COVID-19 Self-Test will be as easy as…

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[mepr-show rules=”18700″ unauth=”message”] Overview: The organization develops laboratory solutions, analytical instrumentation, and automated liquid handling platforms.  Test Name: COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test Kit Testing Type: Antibody test Technology: Bring the Test strip, Sample diluent tube, and sample to room temperature before testing.​1. Add 50μl of Whole or peripheral blood or 20μl Serum and plasma to the Sample diluent tube and mix thoroughly. Add 3-4 drops to the sample pad section.​2. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes to observe the results. Results measured after 20 minutes are invalid and should be discarded.  Test Sample Type: Human serum, plasma, or whole…

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[mepr-show rules=”18700″ unauth=”message”] Overview: Founded in 2013, Wells Bio, Inc. is a Korean firm which develops and manufactures in vitro diagnostic tests based on immunochemical, biochemical, and molecular technology.  Test Name: CareUS™ COVID-19 IgM/IgG Testing Type: Qualitative rapid diagnostic antibody test Technology: The careUS™ COVID-19 IgM/IgG is an in vitro rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test using colloidal gold for the qualitative detection of IgM/IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 directly from human whole blood, serum or plasma. Storage temperature needs to be 1-30 degrees Celsius.   Test Sample Type: 10 micro liter human whole blood, serum or plasma Time to Result: 10-15 minutes Testing…

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This COVID drama could soon end if we were to get smart on testing. Harvard professor Michael Mina is someone to watch. You will likely be seeing a lot of him in the coming weeks as he seems to have sorted out this COVID testing issue which we to date have complete missed, misunderstood, and bungled. Mina’s presentation is clear, compelling, obvious and simple. We don’t need a highly sensitive test to see who is infected. We need simple test to see who is infectious. His Harvard lab has done the analysis and the argument holds. The irony is that…

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Emily currently manages a variety of investments, as well as being committed to philanthropy. Gold Mears was born and raised in Los Angeles and received her B.A. at U.C. Berkeley. She practiced Real Estate Law for a number of years and has now transitioned to research analysis in the area of science. She is a Board member of the UCLA Longevity Center; a Board member of KCRW Foundation; serves on the Society of Fellows Advisory Committee for the Aspen Institute, a Board member of the Aspen Brain Institute and on the advisory board of the Franca Fund/Genomes to People. She is currently writing her first book, a compilation of over two years of research in the field of functional medicine.

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Information on the 7 companies selected thus from the NIH Shark tank competition which is offering $250 million in funding for companies that have prospects of developing rapid tests by the Autumn of 2020.   After scrutinizing several dozen submissions the National Institutes of Health has selected its first seven projects that will move on to a new phase of manufacturing and scale-up. Nearly nearly a quarter of a billion dollars is available to these firms to scale.   The NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics initiative, or RADx, was launched in late April, 2020 with the goal of providing millions of new…

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The work to develop a rapid COVID-19 test is one of the most important challenges we face in the world today. Over 160 companies worldwide are in pursuit. Society is under extreme pressure from this pandemic. Accurate testing is the cornerstone of a return to some level of normalcy and economic recovery. The Virus Project commissioned a comprehensive report on COVID-19 testing that profiles the overall market and more than 160 companies worldwide seeking regulatory approval. The market for tests could reach $50 billion annually. Of particular interest is a rapid, inexpensive daily test to identify the contagious. Research has indicated…

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Researchers are working on a testing system that would require a simple exhaled breath.  Such a test would serve as an alternative to current tests that are expensive, can take a long time to get results, and require specialized personnel to do the sampling and to analyze the results. According to the scientist leading this work, “Breath analysis is not really a technique that is used widely in the medical field yet, so it is considered early-stage work. We have developed a sensor device that detects nitric oxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in breath and can be used to…

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