New Delhi: Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal Friday unveiled two test kits that can diagnose dengue and Hepatitis-C diseases in just an hour.
The kits, developed by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) here, use specially designed synthetic antigens and can accurately detect the diseases.Sibal said both kits use antigens and produce a visually readable signal that makes it easy for early diagnosis. "The price of these kits would be half the price of available kits."
Based on the signals, a patient can be classified as 'sero positive' or 'sero negative' for the infections.
The uniqueness of the kits is that they would not give false results.
The minister said the antigens had to be earlier imported at exorbitant rates and were of unsure quality. The technology for the synthetic antigens had been developed with financial support from the Department of Biotechnology and transferred to Tulip Group of Companies, based in Goa.
Source-IANS
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