Image created by Dr. Michael J. Miller
Welsh researchers have been awarded funding of almost £1.2 million to develop a new detector for tuberculosis in humans and animals that can report a result in one hour.
The technology will be simple enough to be operated by any healthcare worker or veterinarian. It will be more specific and more sensitive than existing methods as well as significantly quicker than other types of tests.
Supported by funding from UKRI, the project brings together experts in tuberculosis, veterinary medicine, microbiology, microwave and photonic engineering, to develop a new solution to this global health problem.
TB is a major cause of suffering and death in humans and animals worldwide and is the second leading infectious killer of humans after Covid-19, with a death rate of 1.8 million per year.
The lack of a rapid accurate diagnosis, particularly in poorer nations, often leads to misdiagnoses and ineffective treatment of TB patients.
Professor Glyn Hewinson, Sêr Cymru research chair in the Centre of Excellence for Bovine Tuberculosis at Aberystwyth University, said: “Eliminating the human TB epidemic by 2050 is a key UN Sustainable Development Goal, and the World Health Organization highlights the need for more effective rapid diagnostic tests as a critical step.
“We are looking forward to working with our colleagues in Cardiff to make advances in this important area of research.”
The high prevalence of TB in cattle in parts of the UK has a major effect on both the livelihoods and wellbeing of farmers, with testing, badger killing and vaccination costing the UK government £100 million per year.
Aberystwyth experts will lead on the development and evaluation of an optical device which will for the first time attempt to solve issues with sample impurities and sensitivities.
Professor Nigel Copner, Head of the Business School and Academic Lead for the Engineering Unit at Aberystwyth University said: “Using techniques developed in Cardiff, the photonics team at Aberystwyth University has innovated a method that enables high sensitivity detection directly from on-site samples. If successful, this technique could achieve near-PCR sensitivity at the point of sampling, potentially revolutionising pathogen pandemic management.”