Iceni Diagostics and the University of Warwick are working together to develop a tool for on-the-spot detection of Covid-19.

The tool is designed to function without any need for training or complex infrastructure, and will resemble a pregnancy test. It will use sugars, rather than antibodies or genetic material, to identify the virus.

The device’s diagnostic proof of principle has been demonstrated in initial studies, but the partnership is now searching for investment or philanthropic donors to take the concept forward.

University of Warwick Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School joint professor Matthew Gibson said: “The rapid detection of the virus, for both healthcare and to enable society to return to normal, is crucial. Our technology, developed through joint PhD student work with our industry partners, makes use of glyco-nanomaterials to detect a specific portion of the coronavirus. The technology is straightforward, and extremely low-cost as the kit is paper-based.”