Branched DNA Diagnostic for Malaria Parasites

The key to effective management of malaria is accurate diagnosis that is also rapid. The “gold standard” microscopy is time-consuming and labor-intensive and suffers from retirement of microscopic diagnostic experts and inaccurate slide reading. A field-deployable diagnostic method that is specific for the different malaria parasites and is capable of quickly processing potential patients would be highly valuable for the treatment process. The identification of parasite specific RNAs has great potential as a biomarker for diagnosis of malaria. A parasite-specific and highly sensitive diagnostic method that is rapid will allow for the accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment regime for malaria. In this Phase I, Agave BioSystems proposes to develop a fast, fluorescent RNA diagnostic assay utilizing branched DNA signal amplification for rapid detection and analysis of malaria parasites P. falciparum and P. vivax.