Startup develops indigenous ICMR-approved RT-PCR Covid-19 test kit

Equine Biotech, a startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has developed an indigenous RT-PCR diagnostic kit called "GlobalTM diagnostic kit" for accurate and affordable diagnosis of Covid-19.

The Covid-19 test kit, based on Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), has been approved for use in authorised Covid-19 diagnostic labs by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The test takes about 1.5 hours to confirm the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples, according to Utpal Tatu, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, IISc, and founder of Equine Biotech.

Our startup has been working on testing for coronavirus infections for many years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic started. This experience has helped us engineer the kit for Covid-19," Tatu said.

In RT-PCR, RNA - the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 - is transcribed into complementary DNA by a process called reverse transcription, and then amplified. The PCR reaction is monitored in real time with the help of a fluorescent DNA-binding dye. The degree of fluorescence indicates the severity of the infection.

The kit is an easy-to-use, multiplex RT-PCR kit with 100 per cent specificity, and its run time is relatively short when compared with the kits available in the industry, according to its founders. The company is currently seeking to licence its new Covid-19 test kit and work with med-tech companies and other industries for mass producing, marketing and distribution of these kits.