The 3M logo is visible at its global headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, USA
The American industrial conglomerate 3M Co has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a rapid antigen test for COVID-19, the company announced on Tuesday.
The test would produce results in minutes and could be administered on a low-cost paper device, similar to a home pregnancy test, which could be delivered at the point of care.
“We are working to improve the speed, accessibility and affordability of testing for the virus, a major step to prevent its spread,” said John Banovetz, chief technology officer at 3M.
The research effort is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, which manages a project called Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) which funds the development of new test technologies in universities and businesses.
The program aims to make the new tests available by the end of summer or the beginning of fall.
Antigen tests look for proteins that can be found on or inside a virus. They can detect the virus very quickly and can potentially be produced at a lower cost than other tests.
3M says it could adapt manufacturing to millions of tests a day once developed.
(Reporting by Carl O’Donnell; Editing by Leslie Adler)
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
