AMPD · At-home, Maximised Potential DNA/RNA Detecting Device

This project will develop the At-home, Maximised Potential DNA/RNA Detecting Device (AMP’D). AMP'D is a hand-held, equipment free point-of-care device that can detect DNA/RNA biomarkers in easily accessible bodily fluids - such as blood, nasal and saliva samples. It is intended for diagnosing both infectious diseases and cancer. Additionally, it can do it at-home and early in disease progression.Both infectious diseases and cancer are leading causes of death globally. In 2020, cancer accounted for 10 million deaths. Furthermore, Covid-19 alone has accounted for 6.5 million deaths since the start of the pandemic. AMP'D intends to significantly reduce the number of deaths for both diseases - by providing a platform that can allow for ultra-sensitive, low cost and convenient detection. First, AMP'D can detect extremely low concentrations of biomarkers - at the early stages of these diseases. Second, AMP'D can cut the cost of each test from US$200 (commonly observed with pathological lab tests) to US$10. Finally, AMP'D can enable at-home diagnosis with blood, nasal and saliva samples - thus preventing invasive/uncomfortable procedures that deter many people from getting tested until it is too late. The development of such a device can enable end-users anywhere in the world to detect these diseases - even before symptoms appear. This can allow for early intervention before prognosis worsens - thus saving lives.