Newswise — A rapid test that detects all known COVID-19 variants, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant, has been developed by researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

The test, which can be performed at laboratories experienced in COVID-19 testing can quickly detect clinical samples that contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus with signature mutations for each known variant of concern—namely, the Alpha, Beta/Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants. The test uses special probes called “sloppy molecular beacons” that perform particularly well at detecting mutations in organisms that mutate frequently. These probes work even if other mutations unexpectedly develop near a mutation of interest.

The Rutgers study appeared this week in the pre-print journal MedRxiv, which publishes research that is not yet peer reviewed. The study demonstrates that their approach is 100 percent sensitive and specific for identifying the correct variant when tested on clinical samples. The test can be used in a variety of instruments and assay formats.

The test was developed in the laboratory of David Alland, director of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Public Health Research Institute and the Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness within the Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (i3D), and project leader Padmapriya Banada, working with Patricia Soteropoulos, Raquel Green and Deanna Streck.

“Our approach is unusually flexible in being able to detect unanticipated mutations,” Alland said. “We had recently improved an older version of the assay, so that it could detect the Delta variant, but when Omicron appeared, we suspected that it would be able to specifically identify this variant as well, and we are happy to find that our testing shows that we were correct.”

The Rutgers Genomics Center Clinical Lab Team—Soteropoulos, Streck and James Dermody—are now working to obtain rapid approval from the New Jersey Department of Health to use the new test on patients, where it could help determine the correct type of antibody therapy and potentially help identify patients at high risk for severe COVID-19.

To bolster the world’s public health fight against COVID-19, the Rutgers team is releasing all of the information needed to create and run the test as well as supporting information on the pre-print server MedRxiv, which will be updated periodically when needed.

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Dr. David Alland, Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and the Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School: David Alland is recognized for his pioneering work on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of drug-resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, now including SARS-CoV-2.  He is Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease in the Department of Medicine, and directs the Public Health Research Institute, the Rutgers Bio-Containment Laboratories and the Center for Emerging Pathogens at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School.

Acknowledgements: Research reported in this press release was partially supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01AI131317 and UC6AI058608. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School: Founded in 1954, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is the oldest school of medicine in the state. Today it is part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and graduates approximately 170 physicians a year. In addition to providing the MD degree, the school offers MD/PhD, MD/MPH and MD/MBA degrees through collaborations with other institutions of higher education. Dedicated to excellence in education, research, clinical care and community outreach, the medical school comprises 19 academic departments and works with several healthcare partners, including its principal teaching hospital, The University Hospital. Its faculty consists of numerous world-renowned scientists and many of the region’s “top doctors.” Home to the nation’s oldest student-run clinic, New Jersey Medical School hosts more than 50 centers and institutes, including the Public Health Research Institute Center, the Global Tuberculosis Institute and the Neurological Institute of New Jersey. For more information please visit: njms.rutgers.edu.

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences: Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) takes an integrated approach to educating students, providing clinical care and conducting research, all with the goal of improving human health. Aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and collaborating university wide, RBHS includes eight schools, a behavioral health network and four centers and institutes. RBHS offers an outstanding education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, biomedical research and the full spectrum of allied health careers. RBHS clinical and academic facilities are located throughout the state.

Journal Link: MedRxiv