RapTB: A Novel At-Home Rapid Tuberculosis Screening Test Kit
Team: RapTB
- Program: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Course: ChemBE Product Design EN.540.314
Project Description:
We are developing a rapid test for tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is the second leading infectious disease killer in the world, with 10.6 million cases in 2021. A patient would use a nasal swab to collect a sample and add it to a bottle of solvent before adding it onto a test strip, similar to the COVID rapid tests. The test strip is fitted with gold nanoparticles that are conjugated to the Ag85 antibody which is specific to the antigen found in tuberculosis. While the Ag85 antibody has been studied in lab, it has never been developed or applied for use in rapid testing such as in our product. On detection of a positive sample, the gold nanoparticles will exhibit a color change, indicating a positive test. Our test has the potential to be a quick and effective method of tuberculosis detection while still being cost effective and easy to use.
