IIT Madras, GIC to develop urine-based TB diagnosis technology

The technology for urine-based TB screening/diagnosis is expected to be rapid and affordable in comparison to the existing TB diagnostic tests.

Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (ACR), IIT Madras, and Madhulika Bhaskar, Director and General Manager, GIC, with the MoUs. Image source: IIT Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is partnering with General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), a public sector undertaking, to develop a urine-based tuberculosis diagnosis or screening. The envisaged product for urine-based TB screening/diagnosis is anticipated to be faster and far more affordable than the existing point-of-care diagnostic kits available for various diseases such as blood glucose monitors. 

The key beneficiaries of this project, which is getting CSR funding from the GIC Re, will be primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare centres besides the health departments in state and central governments. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards this CSR partnership was signed by Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, and Madhulika Bhaskar, Director and General Manager, GIC Re.  

With funding support from GIC Re, researchers at IIT Madras led by Prof VV Raghavendra Sai, Biomedical Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, aim to solve this problem. 

The Biosensors Laboratory at llT Madras is developing a novel plasmonic fiber optic absorbance biosensor (P-FA8) technology. They have established a laboratory-level proof-of-concept for the detection of a well-reported tuberculosis biomarker in urine, known as ‘Upoaabinomannan (LAM)’. 

In parallel, the associated technologies for the fabrication of fiber optic sensor probes and readout device schemes have been designed and developed and the technology is transferred to two start-ups based in India and the US. The next step towards bringing the urinary marker-based TB diagnosis is the systematic clinical validation study of the P-FAB diagnostic technology with TB patient samples. This research project envisages taking up this critical task and bringing it closer to the deployment of this technology in primary healthcare centres (PHCs). 

IIT Madras will be developing the proof-of-concept for the urine-based TB screening/diagnosis. The know-how and the relevant technologies will be made available to start-ups or diagnostic kit manufacturers. 

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