Researchers at INL are working to develop a new test for COVID-19

A group of scientists from the INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory is working in the design of a European rapid detection test for COVID-19 able to predict the severity of the virus in patients with the support of artificial intelligence.

This project involves also research centres and technology companies from Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Greece, and Germany.

The aim is to get the go-ahead from the European Commission, which has launched an urgent call to receive research projects capable of helping to mitigate the progression of the disease.

Marta Prado, INL Food Quality and Safety research group leader, explains that “the aim is to create a rapid detection kit to be used outside a laboratory, effective against possible mutations of COVID-19 and prepared to diagnose the impact virus in each patient”.

If currently most of this equipment can only be used by professionals and specialized laboratories, "the kits we intend to develop could be used autonomously and would not require trained personnel”, explains Lorena Diéguez, coordinator of the INL health cluster.