IIT From Delhi Designed A 90-Minute Omicron Detection Technique
Omicron has a large number of mutations—over 50 with 32 in the spike protein—allowing the virus to infect the body easily. (Representational image)
As per officials, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have developed an RT-PCR led test that can diagnose the Omicron variant of COVID-19 about 90 minutes.
Presently, Omicron is identified or screened for all around the world utilising next-generation sequencing-based approaches that take more than three days.
The institute has submitted an Indian patent application for a quick screening assay created by its Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, and it is in the midst of contacting potential industrial partners.
According to a top official at IIT Delhi, the assay is predicated on detecting particular mutations that are present in the Omicron variation but not in other SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating. Primer sets targeting these unique mutations in the S gene were created and tested using real-time PCR for specific amplification of either the Omicron variant or other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The official noted as says were adjusted to identify the wild-type from the Omicron variation in a dynamic range using synthetic DNA fragments. Currently, Omicron is identified or screened for all over the world utilising next-generation sequencing-based technologies, which take more than three days. It will be feasible to test for the presence of the Omicron variant in 90 minutes using this RT-PCR-based assay.
IIT Delhi was the first academic institute in India to get a real-time PCR-based diagnostic test approved by the ICMR. The institute devised a method for detecting COVID-19 that drastically decreased the cost of testing, making it accessible to a huge portion of the country's population.The kit was successfully introduced in the market after receiving ICMR certification.
However, two persons in Bengaluru tested positive for the Omicron strain, making it the first time it was discovered in India.
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Chandigarh each reported their first Omicron case, while Maharashtra and Karnataka each reported one more COVID-19 case, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 38 on Sunday. Meanwhile,About 60 nations have reported cases of Omicron, which is classified as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organization.