Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Vs Rapid serological Antibody Test.

Indian Virologist Women Minal Dakhave Bhosle has created the indigenous Rapid Antibody test kit in Record Time.

RT-PCR means Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction. This is basically a technique to rebuild a DNA from an RNA. As its name, it is the technique to recreate in the backward direction. As we all know a living body is made of different kinds of cells, which contains the genetic material known as DNA & RNA. So to study any genetic material we need them in some specific amount. So PCR (Polymerase Chain reaction) was a method developed for the diagnosis of genetic material by making copies of DNA. It was invented by an American Biochemist Kary Mulis in 1983. PCR is a technique to create billions of copies of a DNA very Rapidly, and making easier for scientists to take a small sample of DNA & recreate copies for studying. RT-PCR is a technique in which an RNA sample is used and Reverse Transcripted into DNA & PCR is used to amplify that Sample. In this technique, RNA is reverse transcripted into cDNA (complementary DNA) & amplified to make more copies of that DNA. RT-PCR technique is a diagnosis technique but now a days it is also used as a testing method. During this current Outbreak of CoViD-19 disease globally, RT-PCR technique is used to detect the presence of SARS Corona Virus- 2. However RT-PCR technique is more accurate than Rapid antibody test, but it too have its drawbacks. The exponential growth of the reverse transcribed complementary DNA (cDNA) during the multiple cycles of PCR generates inaccurate end point quantification due to the difficulty in maintaining linearity. In order to have accurate detection and quantification of RNA content in a sample, qRT-PCR (Real Time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain reaction) was developed using fluorescence-based modification to monitor the amplification products during each cycle of PCR amplification process. The extreme sensitivity of the technique can be a double edged sword since even the slightest DNA contamination can lead to unwanted and false results.

As the spread of CoVid-19 is highly contagious and its rate is very higher. So as there is need of high speed mechanism to detection and diagnosis of the coronavirus responsible. But RT-PCR test takes hours to give results. In the wake of higher testing rate and early detection and cure of the patients, governments of the world are relying on the rapid testing kits, which are generally antibody detection kits. These kits however does not confirm the presence of the virus itself, but it gives the hint that antibody to the virus is present, it means that the patient has or had contacted the virus. Better it will be if antibody positive detected patient is also tested with RT-PCR test. As Cured patients will also show the antibody test positive, even if they have no virus in them. It is well known that even RT-PCR specificity is not 100 percent, but it is very high accurate than other testing methods.

In India’s Fight against the CoVid-19, a women virologist whose name is Minal Dakhave Bhosle has created the serological antibody testing kit in record time of six weeks, as quoted by BBC. She has created this kit with her team and presente d it to the national institute of Virology in pune just few hours before having Caesarean and giving birth to the baby girl. This testing kit is named as Patho Detect. This testing kits is going to be helpful in mass screening of the CoVid-19 disease, as there are allegations on India for not testing much people. (As the rate of testing is approximately 7 per million population in India).
she said, “It was an emergency, so I took this on as a challenge. I had to serve my nation,” she also said that her team of 10 worked very hard to make the project a success.

Patho Detect is India’s First Indigenous Rapid Antibody CoViD-19 Dignostic Kit. which is developed by MyLab Team of Minal Dakhave Bhosle. It is priced at Rs. 1200, which can be used for 100 samples. It means cost of testing one sample will be Just Rs. 12. The Price of this kit is approximately one fourth to the kits imported for testing, which are priced from 4500 to 5000 Indian Rupees.