Vaccines: Rapid prototyping, manufacturing and scale up platform
Vaccitech Limited: Developing vaccines for viral pathogens by harnessing the immunotherapeutic properties of T-cells
Current funding allows the University of Oxford to support the manufacture of vaccine materials required for preclinical and phase 1 testing of a COVID-19 specific vector in collaboration with Vaccitech, which has a non-exclusive license to the technology, and Novavax.
Diagnostics: Removing the bottleneck with regards to RT-PCR reagent shortages and throughput
Oxford Nanoimaging: Extremely sensitive super-resolution microscope able to test with minimal patient sample material
ONI is supporting the global effort into research and diagnostics to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, and is directing all collaborative and R&D efforts towards this goal. ONI’S technology is capable of ultrasensitive, amplification-free detection of proteins and nucleic acids, deep phenotyping of virus-cell interactions, remote operation, after sample loading, and full functionality within biosafety cabinets. If you have ideas about how we can support your COVID-19 research efforts, please get in touch with them at https://oni.bio/contact
Nucleome: World experts in molecular medicine, developing a high-throughput DNA sequencing-based assay to allow simultaneous testing of thousands of samples
Nucleome Therapeutics, together with the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM), will develop a high throughput sequencing based assay that would allow thousands of samples to be analysed for COVID-19 simultaneously
Osler Diagnostics: Developing a portable, point-of-care diagnostic machine for pandemic detection and in-field response
Osler has developed a ‘Universal’ healthcare diagnostic – a handheld, portable device that enables accurate, rapid testing, for the majority of biomarkers, at low-cost, from only a pinprick of blood. Osler’s portable diagnostics technology has a clear future use in containing and reacting to the spread of pandemic pathogens. It could be deployed as part of the normal healthcare system for routine blood testing in point-of-care, with generic pandemic detection cartridges for identifying immune responses and classifying unknown vs. known pathogens early.
Epidemiological Tools: Machine Learning tools that allow better data analysis and decision making
MindFoundry: Automated platform allowing experts in any field to harness machine learning for decision making and response modelling
Mind Foundry’s automated machine learning tool allows rapid building and deployment of models that could help analyse, predict and identify best responses to a pandemic spread.
Managing Treatment Safety: Technologies to support safe treatment plans for COVID-19
Ultromics: FDA-Approved AI-powered echocardiography platform to measure and assess heart strain
Their primary product, EchoGo Core, is FDA-approved (CE Mark pending) for the automated measurement of cardiovascular findings including ejection fraction, ventricular volumes and global longitudinal strain. Currently, Chloroquine is being tested as a therapeutic against Covid-19, however, WHO research has suggested that cardiotoxicity is a key side effect. EchoGo Core can allow consistent, reproducible and integrated measurement of global longitudinal strain that could help assess the treatments safety and efficacy.
Early Monitoring, Diagnosis: Technologies to support early monitoring and diagnosis of COVID-19
Albus Health: Measure and analyse respiratory symptoms at home with a small, non-contact, tabletop device
Albus has developed a small non-contact table-top device that automatically monitors respiratory symptoms and environmental metrics at home without the patients having to do or wear anything, ideal for monitoring during isolation, that could help identify to identify early warning signs, track progression and recovery from infection for healthcare workers, at very high risk of developing COVID-19 and for continuous remote monitoring of incidence progress for high risk individuals (elderly, chronic respiratory patients).
Improving hospital workflow: infrastructure-free indoor location
Navenio: Smart & automated location tracking and task allocation for responders, cleaning teams, and resources in healthcare settings
Navenio are making their infrastructure-free indoor location and workforce AI solution available to hospitals which can help to address the very thing that Covid-19 is creating – much increased pressure on healthcare systems with potentially reducing available staff to help.
