Generation 3.1 Diagnostic tests
Point-of-care detection of Staphylococcus aureus
MRSA and MSSA
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium naturally carried on the skin and in the noses of about 30% of people. Its health impact ranges widely: from harmless colonisation to mild skin infections (boils, impetigo) and life-threatening conditions like sepsis, pneumonia, and endocarditis. It is particularly dangerous when causing antibiotic-resistant infections like MRSA. A rapid diagnostic test for staph will enable the prescribing of the most appropriate antibiotic and prevent the overuse of last-resort antibiotics.
DNAiTECH has developed an assay that can distinguish MSSA from MRSA. The images above illustrate the effectiveness of DNAiTECH’s technology in identifying Staphylococcus aureus by targeting the 16S and femA genes, as well as detecting mecA, the AMR marker. This approach differentiates MSSA (methicillin-sensitive) and MRSA (methicillin-resistant) strains. The graphical time course shows the CRISPR readout at 0, 5, and 10 minutes of color development after the LAMP reaction. The key feature of this test is that only MRSA exhibits fluorescence in the lower-left test zone, indicating methicillin resistance; this infection cannot be treated with methicillin.
Yellow Fever test
Yellow fever (YF) is a mosquito borne epidemic disease caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV). Historically, it has caused several epidemics and continues to result in fatalities in South Sudan and other regions today. Due to its limited therapeutic options, high mortality rate, and high transmissibility, YFV is classified as a biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) pathogen. The development of a rapid and sensitive YFV detection method is therefore important for epidemic prevention and response.
DNAiTECH was subcontracted by the Institut Pasteur, Dakar, to develop a rapid proof-of-concept diagnostic test for YFV. The first trial of this test was carried out in Senegal in September 2025. The test results above show a positive test result (top left), an internal positive control (top right), an extraction control of the human cytochrome b gene (bottom left), and a negative control (bottom right).
Measles test
Measles is a highly contagious human infectious disease caused by a morbillivirus of the Paramyxoviridae family. This disease is characterised by general symptoms (fever, asthenia), oculo-respiratory signs (coryza, conjunctivitis), and a maculo-papular rash. Some life-threatening complications may occur, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, especially in infants under 1 year of age and adults over 20 years old, as well as immunocompromised people and pregnant women. Post-COVID, there has been a global rise in measles cases in both developed and developing countries.
DNAiTECH was subcontracted by the Institut Pasteur Dakar to develop a rapid proof-of-concept diagnostic test for measles, and a trial of the test was conducted in Senegal in September 2025. The test results above show a positive test result (top left), an internal positive control (top right), an extraction control of the human cytochrome b gene (bottom left), and a negative control (bottom right).