What if laboratory equipment were no longer expensive?
What would our society be like if everyone could have their own molecular biology equipment and perform Covid-19 tests? We at Just One Giant Lab (JOGL) recently held our second ‘What If ‘ event, focused on fostering insightful conversations and stimulating new connections within our community. In this session, we talked about the power of Felipe Tanaami and Isabella Messuti’s work with Magnus-qPCR project on JOGL.
The Real-Time PCR (qPCR) technique underscores the open, portable and low-cost qPCR machine being developed by Magnus-qPCR. The technique is among the most valuable tools in biological research today. It allows researchers to determine and quantify nucleic acids in various biological samples, with diverse applications such as diagnosis of disease, the detection of genetically modified organisms in food, gene expression analysis, and cancer phenotyping.
This technology is also essential for the control of pandemics, as it offers precision in diagnosis even before the first symptoms appear. But these qPCR machines typically cost tens of thousands of dollars, restricting their use to large research centers and laboratories. With that in mind, Felipe Tanaami and Isabella Messuti decided to develop a more accessible version of the technology: an open-source, low-cost equipment that could be used anywhere in the world.
Covid-19 testing is essential for the efficient control of the pandemic, as they allow policy makers to monitor disease outbreaks. Isabella Messuti told us: “Our machine will be able to analyze up to 24 samples simultaneously and will be expandable to 4 channels.” Felipe Tanaami added: “We believe that our low-cost, open-source equipment could be used by DIY independent scientists, students, and researchers in developing countries.” “We are also hoping to distribute it to schools and universities, as it will encourage more people to learn the power of biology,” said Messuti.
“A COVID-19 antigen test can provide results quickly, but RT-qPCR is considered the gold standard for COVID-19 testing as it provides a more definitive answer as to whether an individual has the virus in their body,” says Joshua Trotta, Senior Director Business Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The project is fully Open Source, described in the “GNU GPLv3” license, which means that anyone can use, modify, distribute, or make commercial use of the project. If you are interested in contributing to this project, check out their page at https://app.jogl.io/project/519/MagnusqPCR.
Join our next JOGL event at https://www.meetup.com/JustOneGiantLab/
