Mumbai: Dr Shyam Sundar Nandi, a scientist from the National Institute of Virology, has been awarded by India’s top medical research body for developing a rapid molecular test that diagnoses mpox in an hour. This is in stark contrast to PCR tests that can take up to a full day or rapid antigen tests prone to inaccuracies.
Dr Nandi was invited to Delhi to attend the annual Health Research Excellence Summit hosted by ICMR, where he was also recognised for his pioneering use of gene-editing technology to enhance polio safety protocols in research labs nationwide.
“Such fast mpox testing kits are a step forward in community health. Expressions of interest will be called for manufacturers. We are planning to distribute them in both public and private settings in India and the world,” said a top NIV scientist.
In August, WHO declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, an emergency of international concern. There have been over 24,000 cases worldwide this year, with hundreds of deaths. In India, two cases have been detected this year.
Dr Nandi’s kit uses a detection method, LAMP, to deliver quick, visual results without requiring complex lab equipment. LAMP rapidly amplifies virus DNA at a steady temperature, while another technique detects this amplification by changing colour. “No additional instruments are needed for detection. When the reaction occurs, a positive sample releases protons, shifting the pH from normal to acidic, resulting in a visible colour change. In the case of a negative mpox sample, no colour change occurs,” the NIV scientist said.
Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as the one responsible for smallpox. Symptoms include rashes on hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, or near genitals, which initially appear as pimples or blisters and can become painful. Most people recover within two to four weeks without needing specific treatment.
The virus spreads through close physical contact, including skin-to-skin contact with infectious lesions or bodily fluids. While anyone can contract mpox, men who have sex with men and individuals with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk of transmission.
Dr Nandi’s work in ensuring that India remains polio-free through gene-editing technology (CRISPR) was also appreciated by ICMR. This is crucial because labs often need to study viruses to improve public health responses. In 2017, he learned CRISPR under the guidance of renowned microbiologist Dr Ananda Chakrabarty. Dr Nandi then created special “non-permissive lab cells” — meaning the polio virus cannot grow in them — to make labs safer across the country.
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