Overview
- Researchers at IBR-CONICET-UNR in Rosario, led by Elisa Bolatti, are developing a low-cost rapid test for dengue with recent backing from Fundación Williams.
- The test will detect the NS1 viral protein, which appears at high levels in blood in the first days of infection, using synthetic aptamers instead of antibodies.
- The project is in an optimization phase and will next produce recombinant NS1 for all four dengue serotypes, select specific aptamers, assemble a prototype and test it with clinical samples.
- The design targets point-of-care use in emergency rooms, primary-care centers and field operations to speed clinical decisions and improve outbreak surveillance where PCR is impractical.
- The team is working with Universidad Nacional de Rosario and biotech partner DETx MOL S.A. to pursue local manufacture, but robust clinical validation and regulatory approval are required before the test can be used in practice.