Newly funded: Accurate, accessible COVID-19 testing

The ability to detect antibodies against a SARS-CoV-2 infection presents a tremendous opportunity for the development of a COVID-19 diagnostic test. Effective, efficient, and accessible diagnostic testing is crucial to mitigate the current pandemic. Yuying Liang, MS, PhD, and Hinh Ly, MA, PhD, have received funding from the UMN COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant program to develop a convenient and cost-effective approach to detecting viral antibodies. Their test would be suitable for screening a large number of samples and would also be sensitive for a more accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in exposed populations of both humans and animals. They plan to share the results of their work with clinical laboratories at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health. The project began on March 16, 2020 and is slated to wrap up by March 15, 2021.