Feluda paper strip test for COVID-19 diagnosis are set to hit the Indian market by November-end, News18 has reported. The first batch of test strips would be made available in New Delhi.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan had earlier noted that the Feluda test had shown 96 percent sensitivity and 98 percent specificity in tests conducted on over 2,000 patients during the trials at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and testing in private labs.
The test for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis has been developed by CSIR-IGIB and was earlier approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for a commercial launch.
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‘Feluda’ is an acronym for FNCAS9 Editor-Limited Uniform Detection Assay. The test uses an indigenously-developed CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology for detection of SARS-CoV-2’s genomic sequence. The technology developed by CSIR-IGIB, is a genome editing technology used to diagnose diseases.
It reportedly achieves accuracy levels of the traditional RT-PCR tests with quicker turnaround time. The test uses less expensive equipment and is easier to use.
In this testing method, a nasopharyngeal swab is collected from a person and the RNA is extracted. The Feluda mixture is prepared by incubating dead FnCas9 protein, guide RNA and amplified viral DNA. The swab stick is dipped in the mixture. Gold nanoparticle present on the strip bind with the Feluda mix.
While a Streptavidin protein on the test line captures the gold nanoparticle bound-Feluda complex, unbound gold particles are captured on the control line.
The test takes one to two minutes. Colour develops on the test line and/or control line. One line indicates negative and two lines mean positive.
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