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Feluda-The New Low Cost Covid 19 Test by TATA CRISPR. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the commercial launch of ‘Feluda’, the Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) COVID-19 test, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said on 19 Sep 2020.
This test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology
for the identification of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, CSIR said
in a statement. The Tata CRISPR test achieves accuracy levels of traditional
RT-PCR tests with faster turnaround time, less expensive equipment and better
ease of use. CRISPR is the genome editing technology to diagnose diseases. The
technology has been developed by the CSIR-IGIB (Institute of Genomics and
Integrative Biology).
The Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly
Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) test, FELUDA, got regulatory approvals
today from DCGI for commercial launch, as per the ICMR guidelines, meeting high
quality benchmarks with 96 per cent sensitivity and 98 per cent specificity for
detecting novel coronavirus.
Tata CRISPR test is the
world’s first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to
successfully detect the virus causing COVID-19. Moreover, CRISPR is a
futuristic technology that can also be configured for detection of multiple
other pathogens in the coming time.
“The Tata Group has worked closely
with CSIR-IGIB and ICMR to create a high-quality test that will help the nation
ramp up COVID-19 testing quickly and economically, with a ‘Made in India’
product that is safe, reliable, affordable and accessible and it’s a good move
towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The approval for the Tata
CRISPR test for COVID-19 will give a boost to the country’s efforts in fighting
the global pandemic said by Girish Krishnamurthy, CEO, TATA Medical and
Diagnostics Ltd
“The commercialisation of Tata CRISPR test reflects the tremendous R&D
talent in the country which can collaborate to transform India’s contributions
to the global healthcare, pharmaceuticals and scientific research world.
Work started by CSIR under the sickle
cell mission for genome diagnostics and therapeutics led to new knowledge that
could be harnessed to quickly develop new diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2, said
by Anurag Agrawal, director, CSIR-IGIB. He emphasised that this shows the
interconnectedness of scientific knowledge and technology and the innovation of
the young research team led by Debojyoti Chakraborty and Souvik Maiti.
Key Points Discussion:
o
The Feluda is a paper
strip test that detects the coronavirus in an hour.
o
Feluda is an acronym for FNCAS9
Editor Linked Uniform Detection.
o
It is expected to help to
fulfil an urgent need of the rapid testing in India.
o
It is the first such
indigenous test kit to be developed in India based on Clustered
Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology.
·
CRISPR is a gene editing
technology, which replicates natural defence mechanisms in bacteria to
fight virus attacks, using a special protein called Cas9.
·
CRISPR-Cas9 technology behaves
like a cut-and-paste mechanism on DNA strands that contain genetic
information. The specific location of the genetic codes that need to be
changed, or edited, is identified on the DNA strand, and then, using the Cas9
protein, which acts like a pair of scissors, that location is cut off from the
strand.
· A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself. Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process, supplying the desired sequence of genetic codes that binds itself with the broken DNA strand.
Comparison to the RT-PCR Test:
o
Working Principle: The Feluda test uses the gene-editing
tool-Crispr-Cas9 to target and identify genomic sequences of the novel
coronavirus in suspected individual samples.
·
RT-PCR test (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain
Reaction) detects the virus genetic material, which is the
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) .
o
Cost: The Feluda test will cost less than Rs.500 compared
to Rs. 4500 for the real-time PCR test which is currently being used for
Covid-19 diagnosis in India.
o Required Medical Machinery: The Feluda test also does not rely on expensive real-time PCR machines for RNA isolation, DNA conversion, and amplification which are already in limited supply in the country.
What's in a name? Apparently, everything.
FELUDA technically is an acronym and stands for FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay. And yes, it has been named after the famous fictional Bengali sleuth, Feluda, who popularly appeared in novels by author Satyajit Ray.
In an interview with Hindustan Times in May, Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, who developed the test along with his team, said that he was a Satyajit Ray fan and that it was his wife who came up with the name.
How does it work?
“This strip will be similar to a pregnancy test strip, and will not require any specialised skill and machines to perform, as is the case with other PCR-based tests. This strip will just change colour and can be used in a simple pathological lab. The most important part is it will be 100 per cent accurate,” CSIR Director-General Shekhar C. Mande told The Print.
For the unaware, here's some context.
Prodosh Chandra Mitter, better known as Feluda, is a Bengali private investigator who regularly appears in novels and short stories by Ray. In the novels, Feluda would embark on several adventures with his cousin, Tapesh Ranjan Mitra, or Topshe and the very comical yet lovable, Laal Mohan Babu.
Through their investigations into crime in different parts of the country, Feluda and his two companions have come to rule the hearts of every Bengali literature enthusiast for decades.
Feluda was also known for his shrewd mind and witty
replies and of course, his ability to solve crime quickly. Perhaps that is why
the CSIR scientists decided to name the rapid Covid-19 test after him.
While scientists in other countries like Stanford
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been testing
this approach, this is the first of its kind to be developed in India.
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