CSIR researchers develop paper-based ‘feluda’ test to detect COVID-19 in minutes

Researchers from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) have come up with a paper-based test strip ‘Feluda’ for COVID-19 which will detect the virus within minutes. The new paper-based test has been named after famous detective character created by legendary filmmaker-author Satyajit Ray. 

A seven-member team led by two Bengali-origin scientists Dr Souvik Maiti and Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, working at CSIR’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, came up with the new test. It is supposed to detect the infection within an hour which can emerge as a major breakthrough for scientists as countries around the world have been facing the scarcity of testing kits.

According to media reports, the two scientists have been working on the tool for around two years but started testing in late January whether it works for the novel coronavirus or not. The cost of the test is being speculated to be anywhere between Rs 500-700 which is way below the amount currently charged by private laboratories.

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Government's call for collaboration

The government of India has called upon the scientists and startups across the country to come together and develop low-cost and improved methods to help combat the virus. A group of young engineers working for a Pune-based startup, which makes water-less solar plant cleaning robots, are also building a low-cost ventilator which will cost Rs 50,000, almost one-third the price of current ventilators made by other Indian companies.

Read: BHU Researchers Develop Improved Low-cost Testing Method For COVID-19

In another such effort, women researchers at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have reportedly developed a new testing method that would give the results with hours. Dr Geeta Rai, an associate professor at the Molecular and Human Genetics Department of BHU, led the group of researchers comprising Doli Das, Khushbu Priya to develop the novel method.

The team has already patented the method which is claimed to be low cost and provides 100 per cent accuracy in COVID-19 testing. The detection method is said to be based on RT PCR (Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction) that guarantees low cost and accuracy.

Read: COVID-19: US Cheers Young Indian Engineers Developing Low-cost Ventilators

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(With agency inputs | Image source: crispr.igib.res.in)