Live yeast biosensors for pathogen detection
This technology is an in vitro platform of genetically engineered live yeasts for rapid and sensitive detection of pathogens, including fungal species, viruses, and protein variants.
Unmet Need: Sensitive and rapid in vitro detection of pathogens
Detection of pathogens is critical for disease diagnosis, outbreak control, and therapeutic monitoring. Current strategies, including culture-based methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequencing, are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Additionally, assays for detecting protein variants lack the sensitivity to distinguish single-amino-acid differences, limiting their effectiveness in detecting subtle mutations.
The Technology: Live yeast-based assay for rapid and sensitive pathogen detection
This technology utilizes genetically engineered live yeast to detect pathogens, including fungal species, viruses, and protein variants, by emitting visually colored or fluorescent signals. The yeast platform can be modified to express specific receptors that interact with pathogens in biological samples with high sensitivity. Fluorescence- or pigment-based readouts provide a rapid and straightforward evaluation. Additionally, the live yeast biosensors can be lyophilized for easy storage and distribution.
This technology has been validated with fungal samples.
Applications:
- Diagnostic assays for viral or fungal infections
- Pathogen detection for environmental monitoring
- Screening of antiviral and antifungal drugs
- Research tool for analyzing protein variants
Advantages:
- High sensitivity
- Scalable
- Versatile
- Rapid detection
- Cost-effective
- Direct visual readout
Lead Inventor:
Patent Information:
Patent Pending (US20240368664)
Tech Ventures Reference:
IR CU21127, CU21270, CU22208
Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez