Deadline: 18-Apr-25
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) are accepting applications for the Enhanced TB Diagnostics and Adjunct Technologies Program for Sample Collection and Processing.
Objectives
- The specific objectives of this challenge will be to address one or all of the following:
- Test involving new sampling methods
- It is important to move away from sputum and towards more accessible.
- Easier to collect samples for TB diagnosis. It is also important to assess the suitability of other sample types, such as saliva or blood for TB testing.
- Self-Sample Blood Collection Devices (Phlebotomist-free blood collection)
- Sample Collection for MTB
- Sample Lysis Devices (Instrument-free lysis) for TB lysis
- Sample Clean up and Analyte Concentration
- New testing technologies
- Test involving new sampling methods
- Ideally, the proposal will:
- Solicit variety of upstream testing solutions that make sample collection, preparation, and lysis simpler, less expensive, and self-administered PoC or near- to-care tests;
- Diagnostics for underserved populations, such as children and individuals with disseminated and/or paucibacillary TB;
- Product candidates that detect TB using specimens other than sputum (blood, serum, urine, stool, breath, swabs), enabling the identification of extrapulmonary or paucibacillary TB in adult and pediatric patients
- Solutions or diagnostics that may be able to overcome the infrastructure and cost- related drawbacks of current diagnostic techniques
- The assessment of new TB diagnostic approaches in the context of current clinical algorithms in TB-endemic nations are also noteworthy.
- Brief laboratory tests on a diagnostic prototype or prototypes to verify functionality and viability prior to a clinical review.
- Place a strong emphasis on systematically observing, validating, and quantifying the improved outcomes balanced with cost-effectiveness from its use.
Eligibility Criteria
- This RFP is India-led; the programme is open to nonprofit organizations (society, trust and foundation), for-profit companies (start-ups), government agencies, individuals, and academic and research institutions.
For more information, visit BIRAC.