I joined Zach and the OneGiaiantLab, working on the RDT for Corona based on CRISPR:
the intial challenge is the positive control. It is sold by TwistBioscience, but
Cool,
been only remotely following abit the discussion at JOGL. https://app.jogl.io/project/118
personnally i think it’s a bit difficult to “compete” with all the professional labs for developing new detection methods, and as you said, it’s not so wise to do “positive” runs using the real virus in your kitchen. the lateral flow and LAMP method looks totally reasonable to me!
but i do appreciate the much more open and collaborative approach of jogl and similar initiatives. the current situation shows how free market for profit pharma industry will not provide anything for such crisis times, and politics have failed to be prepared in many places. fuck patents! (Denisa has shared some interesting stuff about that problem)
other fast responses than come from distributed and open DIY envrinments can also be simple support technologies that might be lacking.
i once did a little 3d printed tube-clamp, not that it’s sooo crucial but could inspire some ways of thinking of simple low.tech stuff that is in need.
and of course ventilators:
“simple support technologies that might be lacking.”
-neat, does anyone know if there is a discussion somewhere where you can volunteer design time to help whip up basic shapes or electronics some folks might need?
This guy has a couple if good ideas:
I don’t have much of a feel for how hard or realistic it is to deploy DIY ventilators. I like his idea for a laminar flow hood for your face though.
Just found this one by Tad… that’s what i was trying to say about “simple…”
otherwise that group on fbook seems to collect a lot of interesting approaches:
but there is many more…
sad news on that “open source” and “patents” in a time of crisis:
So i really hope there will be many best case examples that will put more pressure on that old system.
Hi there,
As we all know, one of the main issue today is the lack of masks FFP2 and chirurgical.
It seems that the lifetime of the mask is only few hours and after that it have to be trashed.
So I’m asking if there is a way to clean the mask in order to reuse it many times? What about microwaves oven ? Acording to those papers it can be an idea to try:
https://cleaning.lovetoknow.com/…/do-microwaves-kill-germs-…
https://news.ufl.edu/archive/2007/01/researchers-microwave-oven-can-sterilize-sponges-scrub-pads.html
What do you guys think about this question?
Hi Juno,
UV light is able to kill COVID-19 if it is exposed to the concentrated UV ray in a certain amount of time and distance. Only for objects! Not skin or body parts because it is harmful. https://www.core77.com/posts/96010/The-Benefits-and-Drawbacks-of-Disinfecting-Surfaces-and-Killing-COVID-19-with-UV-Lights
and
Hey Zoe and all,
hope you’re OK, especially in Milano.
Michi from Anyma.ch made nice UV LED panels (for his etching machine):
They light up inside a safe box, from both sides.
Might work for small stuff, maybe make the box bigger, add a turning platter?
Cheers,
Thomas
there is “different” kinda UV… @gaudi has been doing some photopsychic wavelength geeking recently.
Sorry to tell you… but those UV leds don’t kill many viruses nor other germs. good for illuminating photorests for making PCBs.
Yep, don’t trust those silly people on TV
We checked with our friend who runs a UV sanitation company, and he told us that the UV LEDs you can buy normally don’t put out the right curve or power to be effective. He had some thoughts about making spark gaps with high voltages which would provide UV (and ozone) , but the TV producers wouldn’t budge on using the little UV LEDs because they said it was “more realistic” even though it had no bearing in reality
Hahahaha
Hi,
I’m not using UV leds, but UV-C ozone tube lamp especially sold for sanitising objects.
They’re still selling them, no need to DIY yet 
Zoe
Fwd: Commercial COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test - on a drop of blood & without any instrument, ~similar to pregnancy test
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yip. lateral flow tests, gold nanoparticle and antibodies, seem to be a great way to go.
from my side… just very little i can contribute there. i have some basic knowledge in low-cost diagnostics, know how they work in principle… but there it ends.
great people already work on it all over the world. and hopefully share openly what they achieve, no patents, and distribute to those in need.
I am sorry I haven’t writing on the forum because we have been busy building some of this rapidtest with a group in Sattle.
The name is SERIOUSLY MISLEADING!!!
Those are serioconversion tests, namely you HAD the disease, you recovered and now you have developed the antibodies. It could be used to measure who is now “immune” or had in the past the disease.
IT IS NOT A RAPID TEST TELLING IF SOMEONE ASYMPTOMATIC OR STILL IN INCUBATION HAS THE DISEASE. Do not fall into the trap. Many labs are working day and night fro real radpidtest and a couple of companies have announced to launch them soon, BUT IT IS NOT THIS ONE!!!
Many thanks for your very pertinent view point!
This approaches with antobodies may be beneficial for research projects to evaluate the different types of immune responders, but no need to use this kind of lateral flow system…
Sorry, I am not familiar with this field and I am very naive…
There is no regulation (and fine) when the term ‘FAD approved’ is abusively writen somewhere ?
What do you think of this kind of appraoch:
Many thanks,
Christine
March 20, 2020
105
Simon Fraser University researcher Lena Dolgosheina.
With a shortage of coronavirus testing kits in many places around the globe, scientists have stepped up to produce a plethora of kit scenarios, each more creative than the next. Now, investigators at Simon Fraser University (SFU) are throwing their hat into the coronavirus diagnostic ring with the use of their pioneering imaging technology—called Mango, for its vivid color.
The researchers originally developed Mango to sensitively detect RNA molecules, helping to improve viral screening for viruses such as the coronavirus while enabling fundamental discoveries into the functioning of cells. The findings from this study were published recently in Nature Communications through an article titled “Live-cell imaging of single RNA molecules with fluorogenic Mango II arrays.”
“We are made of molecules so when something goes wrong within a cell, it happens at the molecular level,” explained senior study investigator Peter Unrau, PhD, a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at SFU. “We are using the Mango system as a catalyst, to allow us to not only extend fundamental research questions but also to detect pathogens like the coronavirus, faster and more efficiently.”
The Mango system consists of an RNA Mango aptamer that binds tightly and specifically to a fluorescent dye. The aptamer acts like a magnet—targeting and binding those dye molecules. The dye becomes excitable when bound and glows brightly. RNA molecules modified to contain the aptamer “magnet” now stand out from the other parts of the cell, which makes it much easier for researchers to see and study RNA molecules under a microscope.
“RNA aptamers, such as Spinach and Mango, have recently emerged as a powerful background-free technology for live-cell RNA imaging due to their fluorogenic properties upon ligand binding, the authors wrote. “We found a novel array of Mango II aptamers for RNA imaging in live and fixed cells with high contrast and single-molecule sensitivity. Direct comparison of Mango II and MS2-tdMCP-mCherry dual-labeled mRNAs show marked improvements in signal-to-noise ratio using the fluorogenic Mango aptamers.”
“Cell regulation takes place at the level of RNA,” Unrau added. “For a long time, the focus has been on protein, but it is RNA and not protein that regulates the vast majority of processes within a cell.”
RNA Mango dyes are currently available from Applied Biological Materials (ABM) in Richmond, B.C. The coronavirus research made possible by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding will allow the team to develop an isothermal testing methodology, known as Mango NABSA (nucleic acid sequence-based amplification).
The Mango NABSA kits can be used to test for the coronavirus, which is a positive-strand RNA virus. ABM is actively involved with this project as a partner and will supply the enzymes and buffers needed, which the SFU team initially developed.
“Mango technology is state of the art, and the development of effective cures for cancer and other diseases demand better imaging methodologies to rapidly learn how cells work in detail,” Unrau concluded.
We have a kind of working protocol, we have volunteers (with the disease). Unfortunately UZH has been shut down on Friday, and hospitals are battlefields (I am still receiving the mailing list from the ojne I was working, and it is already serious there), is tehre any BSL2 lab in Switzerland which will help me with testing? We need to start things and to send an ethical approval to an IRB, potentially if tested on a decent number I am in contact with a pharma to sponsor it further. The idea is to give it to some people for selftesting (with the warning that it is not FDA/CE approved) The story has been going on within the JOGL platform
Is HSLU still accessible? They have there BSL2 labs
As far as I know the ecogen page has a directory with all the BSL1-4 Labs online, but if you want I can ask Claudia Rupprecht from the Federal Office if she knows a Lab that would be kind enough to host your researches. i guess its a more difficult quest. Hackuarium (Lausanne), Gaudilabs (Luzern) and Meridiana (Bern) are all of them on BSL1 level.
Maya Minder
Here a nice hacked UVGI sterilizer by Akiba from Hackerfarm to be used on facemasks. He properly clarifies the UltraViolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) to make sure people understand.
