Date: 2nd November 2019
Sherlock Bioscience once again hits our news with the announcement of a collaboration with Mologic Ltd.
The move will see the progression of simple to use, yet sophisticated molecular diagnostics tests for use at point of need, including low resource environments and in a home setting.
We saw the launch of Cambridge-based (US) Sherlock Bioscience earlier this year. Its foundational platform technology, SHERLOCK™ (Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing), was developed as a method for identifying specific genetic targets using CRISPR, and the method hit our news in September as a step-by-step guide for setting up SHERLOCK assays was published in Nature Protocols. We have also seen its use in the development of CARVER, a Cas-based antiviral system.
Now their INSPECTR™ (INternal Splint-Pairing Expression Cassette Translation Reaction) platform is the source of interest, as further funding from the Gates Foundation to Mologic’s existing grant will see the platform combine with Mologic’s advanced lateral flow expertise.
Mologic, is a leading developer of lateral flow and rapid diagnostic technologies, products and services. In this partnership, the UK-based company, will expand their presence in Cambridge, US, and a joint development center will be established within the lab space of Sherlock.
Mologic will bring to the table their core immunoassay platforms, ELTABA for enzyme activity detection, and CARD, a high sensitivity lateral flow technology, which reportedly brings a 1,000 fold improvement in sensitivity.
Together the companies will aim to accelerate the development of universal detection platforms to detect DNA or RNA targets, creating very simple, lower cost sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests that run quickly, without the need for electricity, specialised equipment or thermal amplification.
With their sights on improving global health, Sherlock and Mologic are well-placed to synergise their expertise. Enabling them to bring diagnostics to places and people that have previously not had access to such tests, due to the infrastructure and resource requirements of more traditional methods.
For more information please read the press release
For more information on Sherlock Bioscience please go to our synthetic maps.
