Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
Images : PolyU
The Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau Medical and Hygiene Research Fund approved a second round of funding of 59 million yuan earlier to fund 23 local universities’ research on SARS-CoV-2 (covi, in short). The Polytechnic University stated that the university received more than 18 million yuan to carry out research. Eight studies are expected to have results in one to two years. Among them, the research conducted by Associate Professor Xiao Jieheng from the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics of PolyU will analyze the genetic sequence of 500 to 1,000 confirmed cases to establish a geographic database and determine the spread chain of the virus in the community.
Xiao Jieheng’s team had initially discovered that the sequence of covi genes in some of the local cases of the third wave of the epidemic was similar to those imported from the Kazakh crew and the Philippines. Xiao Jieheng said on 11 August 2020 that it analyzed another 100 third cases in the last two weeks. The genetic sequencing of the covi in the local and imported cases of the epidemic showed that some cases were similar to those of Filipino seafarers, and some of the main outbreak cases were almost identical to those of Indian seafarers and British pilots.
PolyU develops portable rapid tester for COVID-19
In addition, the team of Ye Sheping, head of the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics at PolyU, plans to develop a hand-held rapid test instrument to detect covi, which is mainly used in non-laboratory environments such as airports and clinics. Ye Sheping said that the sample detection time can be reduced from 1 to 2 hours to within half an hour. In addition, the reagents used in this instrument include imaging agents, which are red when negative, and transparent when positive, so that the tester can see the result with the naked eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment