The collaboration will focus on a point-of-care testing platform designed to detect tuberculosis from respiratory and blood samples.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Research Agreement: Intelligenome and Cornell University entered a sub-award agreement to develop a rapid, portable diagnostic tool for tuberculosis.
- Point-of-Care Technology: The project utilizes a specialized testing platform designed to detect cell-free DNA from respiratory and blood samples.
- Expanded Access: The lab-in-tube assay aims to provide non-sputum based diagnosis in settings with limited laboratory infrastructure.
Intelligenome and Cornell University entered into a research and development subaward agreement to support the development of a rapid, low-cost, and portable diagnostic solution for tuberculosis (TB), according to the company. The project is part of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded program focused on improving access to technologies for human healthcare.
Under the agreement, Intelligenome will contribute its point-of-care testing (POCT) platform to a program centered on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) TB detection from respiratory and blood samples. The company stated the work will support the advancement of a portable lab-in-tube assay designed to simplify testing and bring rapid, non-sputum based diagnosis closer to patients, particularly in settings where laboratory infrastructure may be limited.
Tuberculosis remains a global healthcare challenge, and timely diagnosis continues to be a barrier in many regions, according to the news release. Existing TB diagnostic methods often rely on sputum samples and centralized laboratory workflows, which may limit detection and delay treatment.
“We are excited to collaborate with Cornell University on this NIH-supported initiative,” said Wilson Zhang, ceo of Intelligenome, in a news release. “Our focus is to advance a practical point-of-care solution that can make rapid TB testing more accessible, especially in settings where traditional lab infrastructure is not readily available.”
The solution under development integrates sample processing with Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) based detection into a streamlined workflow, the release stated. By supporting testing from both respiratory and blood-based samples, the platform is being developed to expand diagnostic flexibility and enable rapid results in a broader range of care settings.
The agreement reflects the company’s commitment to advancing CRISPR-based molecular diagnostics designed to support faster clinical decision-making and broader access to care, according to the news release. The company stated that the portable POCT platform has the potential to contribute to the next generation of infectious disease testing solutions.
