Researchers at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has developed a SARS-CoV-2 antibody test for clinical diagnostic laboratories. This test determines whether a patient has had a SARS-CoV-2 infection and has already produced antibodies against the virus. After completion of the validation phase, the test is already in use in clinical diagnostics by our cooperation partners Laboratorium Dr. Kosak, Dr. Reckendorfer and Partners.
The test was developed especially for clinical diagnostic laboratories and is therefore not a rapid test kit for broad application. During development, the AIT experts were able to build on the results of the FFG-funded Research Studio Austria project PepPipe. The AIT SARS-CoV-2 antibody test complements the AIT SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, which the AIT Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics has already implemented for the specific detection of the virus in throat swabs.
The AIT works closely in a consortium with the Medical University of Vienna (MUW), the University of Veterinary Medicine (VetMed) and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU). While the AIT has developed an antigen test for high-throughput special medical diagnostic laboratories, MUW and VetMed are working together on a ELISA-test for broader application.
Further information: Press release