At a time when world over authorities are scrambling to come up with covid-19 testing method which could provide quick and accurate result, some scientists at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology have developed one such testing method. The rapid and sensitive method will detect coronavirus infection in 30 minutes using a mass spectrometer, a PTI report said.

In the study by the scientists of IGIB, an institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the rapid test method can detect two peptides, QIAPGQTGK and AIVSTIQRKYK, from structural spike glycoprotein and replicase polyprotein with a sensitivity of 90 per cent and specificity of 100 per cent.

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This method involves direct detection of the viral peptides, a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain.

“The method developed is safe since swab sample can be collected in tube containing detergent, which immediately kills the virus,” Shantanu Sengupta, one of the scientists was quoted saying by PTI report.

Sengupta authored the paper which has been published in the Journal of Proteins and Proteomics.

“All other methods require hybridisation and/or amplification which can potentially result in a few false negative results. The test will be rapid since the time from sample to results is about 30 minutes,” Sengupta said.

Sengupta added that the mass spectrometer based test can be used at places like airports.

IGIB director Anurag Agarwal said the institute will now approach the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for introducing this test.

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