Breaking:India Launches FELUDA COVID-19 Test Kit Approved By ICMR

Positive India:New Delhi:
In its ongoing fight against Novel Coronavirus, India has launched CRISPR Feluda COVID-19 test kit approved by ICMR. Its cost is just Rs.500 and will give test results within 40 minutes.

Feluda test strip for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 has been developed jointly by CSIR-IGIB,and has been approved by Drug Controller General of India for its commercial launch in India. Moreover, this Kit has been validated by Dept of Atomic Energy’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore.

The full form of Feluda is FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay. Feluda Paper Strip Test is the world’s first Diagnostic Test to use a specially adopted CAS9 protein to seek out the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since its sensitivity is 96% and specificity is 98%, this Paper Strip Test Kit is far superior and more accurate than Rapid Antigen test and it is cheaper and faster alternative to RT-PCR.

Feluda uses CRISPR-CAS technology for the detection of genes specific to SARS-CoV-2. Human Trials have been conducted on 2000 people at The Institute of Genomics And Integrative Biology(IGIB). Human trial results have proved that it can accurately detect both positive and negative Corona cases.

Mode of Action:
In this method, a protein called FNCAS9 and a guide RNA(gRNA) is used, which helps in recognizing the viral genes; this FNCaS9-gRNA complex binds to the gene and using a paper strip can be visualized.

Test Method:
1)The Nasopharyngeal swab is collected.
2)RNA is extracted.
3)A single step RT-PCR is done
4)Feluda mix is prepared by incubating the dead FNCAS9 proteins, gRNA and the amplified viral DNA.
5)The dip stick is immersed in the Feluda mix.
6)Gold nano particles on the strip bind to the Feluda complex.
7)A protein called Streptavidin on the test line capture this gold nano particle bound Feluda complex.
8)Unbound gold particles are captured on the control line.
9)One line indicates negative and two lines indicate positive.

With Indigenous innovation of Paper Strip Testing Kit, India has proved that it will win the war against Coronavirus.