As part of the EIT’s Crisis Response Initiative, this activity directly contributes to the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This project will generate several diagnostic tools according to industry needs. The first clear need that we address is working surface testing. A specific solution, including diagnostic kit protocols for sampling and biological standards for validation, will be developed by the end of the project. Meanwhile, the creation of a collaborative platform will stimulate new solutions based on priorities set by the industry. On the other hand, an existing device developed by SwissDeCode, typically used for food authentication, will be modified and adapted to the detection of Coronavirus on surfaces. This device, in which the test will run, is called BEAMitup, consisting of a device similar a coffee machine, in which a capsule with a swab is inserted. After a few minutes, users obtain an ISO-type certificate indicating the presence or absence of the virus on surface.

This technology allows to obtain the same results as conventional laboratories (PCR), without the need of complex equipment, trained employees, and with the great advantage of the speed of its results (approximately 40 minutes), which allows making the appropriate decisions within a working shift. Other advantages of this new technology include its resilience to supply-chain shortages of RT-PCR, since we use a different supply chain from the clinical tests which are currently in high demand.