Professor Jonathan Mark Cooper, University of Glasgow

Working with Global Access Diagnostics, as a recently formed social enterprise, we will develop disruptive technologies that enable highly sensitive and specific disease diagnosis to be carried out on low-cost paper-based microfluidic assay formats, for use within low-resource under-served communities, globally. Key outcomes will involve methods for detecting rare DNA and RNA signatures in samples, integrated with frugal digital innovations that will enable self-powered autonomous tests. The devices will be supported through mobile phone-based secure communications with artificial intelligence-driven decision support tools that enable the tests to be performed by non-experts. Our aim is to take high performance nucleic acid infectious disease testing out of the laboratory and into rural settings, providing a scalable technology that can be integrated into existing digital health infrastructure. Our longer-term vision is not just to inform treatment and care pathways for humans but also to develop tools to improve economic and social outcomes by enhancing food security through the development of tests for livestock and crops.