Project description
Multiplex home test for virus detection
Multiplex assays that can simultaneously detect a number of viruses such as influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 are essential for effective disease surveillance. Existing viral diagnostics for home use lack accuracy while PCR-based tests are laborious and require specialised resources. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FusoLipo-LFA project will develop an innovative test based on lipid vesicles that mimic cells and can fuse with viruses. These vesicles contain special molecular tools that can detect viral RNA and amplify the signal, facilitating the detection of just a few viral particles. This approach overcomes complex extraction steps and offers fast, accurate and user-friendly home testing for multiple viruses.
Objective
In this fellowship, I will leverage recent advances in membrane-fusion-based biosensor technologies to develop an extraction-free, multiplexed lateral flow assay (LFA) for rapid, home-based viral RNA detection. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical limitations in virus diagnostics, with antigen-based kits lacking sensitivity and specificity, while RT-qPCR tests, though accurate, are slow, resource-intensive, and impractical for widespread deployment—highlighting the urgent need for field-deployable molecular assays that deliver reliable results. Given the coexistence of multiple respiratory viruses, multiplexed detection is also crucial. This project aims to combine my expertise in membrane-fusion-based biosensor design with Professor Dame Molly Stevens' (University of Oxford) expertise in LFA-based biosensors to create a multiplex LFA system for viral RNA detection using membrane fusion approach. The system will first employ cell-mimetic fusogenic lipid vesicles (FusoLipo) encapsulating CRISPR toolkits, facilitating viral membrane fusion, RNA capture, and CRISPR-mediated detection. By utilizing two types of FusoLipo, the platform can simultaneously detect influenza A (H1N1) and SARS-CoV-2 without the need for complex RNA extraction, minimizing contamination risks. Once the vesicle’s cargo is applied to the LFA, catalytic nanoparticles (Nanozyme) will amplify the signal at the detection bands, increasing sensitivity. This platform ultimately provides a accurate, and user-friendly solution for home-based multiplexed viral RNA detection. Through this fellowship, I will gain access to specialized expertise and cutting-edge facilities in lipid vesicle formulation, molecular technology, LFA development, and inorganic materials synthesis in the Stevens group, alongside advanced instrumentation to characterize vesicles at the single-particle level and further study virus-FusoLipo membrane fusion, significantly advancing my capabilities in diagnostic biosensor innovation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors biosensors
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses influenza
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.