We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





New Rapid, Saliva-Based COVID-19 Antigen Test Could Be More Affordable, Sensitive, and Easy to Use

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Apr 2021
A portable, smartphone-powered device that comes with a simple saliva collection kit could make rapid testing for COVID-19 more accessible and easier to deploy

Nicoya Lifesciences (Ontario, Canada) is developing a saliva-based, portable and rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test, called Atlas, that is able to provide PCR levels of performance without the need for complex lab equipment or highly trained technicians, unlike other point-of-care diagnostics. More...
Atlas is a low-cost, single-use device that tests for active SARS-CoV-2 infection via viral antigen detection. Users will be able to self-administer the test with a simple saliva collection kit and smartphone application that will take them from sample to answer in under 20 minutes. These benefits increase the accessibility of the test which will result in Atlas becoming more widely adopted globally.

Its differentiated supply chain also ensures that it can be manufactured at scale. This is a vital resource alongside vaccine distribution to help slow and end the pandemic by identifying the virus in people before it can continue to spread. Atlas will meet the demand for widespread testing because it doesn’t require a lab, trained professionals, or 2-5 days to process results like commonly used RT-PCR tests. As a platform technology, Atlas is well suited to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, allowing it to remain effective towards viral variants and help mitigate future crises. As a test that is affordable, sensitive, and easy to use, Atlas will be widely accessible on the global stage. Nicoya is receiving additional advisory services and funding to continue research and development of its rapid, saliva-based COVID-19 antigen test.

"In a short period of time, our team was able to leverage years of experience to develop a completely novel method of viral detection that solves many of the issues with the current point-of-care tests," said Ryan Denomme, co-founder and CEO of Nicoya. "Combining ease-of-use and affordability while still maintaining the highest levels of performance makes Atlas a powerful tool to combat this and future pandemics.

"Looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Atlas will allow communities around the world to be better prepared for future viral outbreaks," added Arjun Sudarsan, PhD, Chief Technical Officer at Nicoya. "As we saw over the last year, we were unprepared for a pandemic of this magnitude. By adopting a portable test like Atlas, countries can ensure they have the capabilities needed to scale up diagnostic testing, while also providing individual users with accessible and effective testing. This platform-based approach to diagnostic testing will help prepare the world for viral outbreaks beyond SARS-CoV-2."

Related Links:
Nicoya Lifesciences


Gold Member
Multiplex Genetic Analyzer
MassARRAY Dx Analyzer (Europe only)
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Rapid Molecular Testing Device
FlashDetect Flash10
New
Gold Member
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Left is the original cell image and right is same cell image zoomed in and rendered in the special imaging software (Photo courtesy of FIU)

Brain Inflammation Biomarker Detects Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Appear

Alzheimer’s disease affects millions globally, but patients are often diagnosed only after memory loss and other symptoms appear, when brain damage is already extensive. Detecting the disease much earlier... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.