Funded by: DOST, PCHRD
Project Leader: Dr. Raul V. Destura
The “Lab-in-a-Mug” Project includes eleven diagnostic kits in the pipeline (Table 1) as well as the “Lab in a Mug” unit. Prioritization of subsequent technologies will be based on the needs assessments.
The “Lab-in-a-Mug” Project includes eleven diagnostic kits in the pipeline as well as the “Lab in a Mug” unit. Prioritization of subsequent technologies will be based on the needs assessments.
The kits consist of the reagents required to conduct Loop‐Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), a powerful gene amplification technique for rapid identification of infectious diseases relevant to the Philippines.
The “Lab in a Mug” device integrates and miniaturizes an isothermal unit as small as a mug which functions as a portable laboratory (Table 2). All kits in the pipeline will use the same device. This model was conceptualized, designed, and piloted by Filipino scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.
Unlike existing technology applications, tech and after sales support has always been a challenge for local diagnostic kit distributors. In our technology, tech support will always be available since it’s locally designed and developed and the expertise need not be flown into the country. Minimal maintenance is required on the device compared to other molecular diagnostics equipment, such as PCR.
Use of the LAMP assay has been demonstrated to produce diagnostic results at a similar quality to the more expensive PCR technology in initial trials conducted using the Biotek-M Kits. The Biotek-MTM Dengue Kits may actually be more sensitive and specific than conventional diagnostic tools in detecting the virus during the time when most patients seek consult (0-5 days of illness) and cheaper as well. Table 3 provides a comparison between the results of the pilot clinical testing of the Biotek-MTM Dengue-aqua Kit with two other diagnostic tools commonly used for early dengue diagnosis.
Other Biotek-M products are expected to perform to a similar standard, thus allowing health facilities to deliver gold standard diagnostics at a fraction of the cost (see Apendix 3). The first product in the pipeline, the Biotek-M Dengue aqua kit will be priced comparably to NS1, the current market leader. The technology is packaged for use in laboratories with basic to advanced laboratory capabilities, ranging from primary to tertiary hospitals.