New Test Developed Using AI Proves Almost 100% Accurate in Detecting  COVID-19 Antibodies

The Universal EpitoGen SARS-Cov-2-test developed by scientists at the University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland) passed the penultimate round of quality assurance assessments by the NIBSC with a reported accuracy that would outperform existing COVID tests. In the NIBSC assessment, the Universal EpitoGen test detected antibody responses to infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus from patient samples with more than 99.5% accuracy and 98.5% specificity.

Unlike the ‘traditional,’ currently used tests, that can become less accurate as new variants emerge, the innovative EpitoGen technology is just as effective in detecting an antibody response to new variants without losing accuracy. Therefore, the new tests can be used to estimate the prevalence of circulating variant strains in the community, including the Omicron variant.

The Universal EpitoGen test was developed using innovative AI antibody technology known as EpitoGen and is one of a suite of tests currently in development. These include tests that can also assess the effectiveness of vaccines against new mutations and allows the incorporation of new mutations into existing tests in a matter of days - something that is not possible using the current technology.

“The news that our tests are so remarkably accurate is extremely exciting, particularly given the increasing worry around the emergence of new variants,” said Professor Mirela Delibegovic from the University of Aberdeen and academic lead on the project. “These tests can be adapted quickly and efficiently to incorporate new mutations - an important development, as we are right now realizing the importance of detecting and monitoring new COVID variants. So, to have the validation that this test has such a phenomenal level of accuracy is hugely encouraging and important.”

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University of Aberdeen