Zika virus

The funding will support development of a test for the Zika virus using Ontera's silicon nanopore-based molecular diagnostics platform.

Group K said that the partners are developing a RT-LAMP system for use at the point of care in resource-limited areas where real-time RT-PCR is not available.

The test is designed to identify and differentiate between Zika, dengue, and chikungunya in serum samples, even in the presence of more than one target.

With long-read sequencing, mapping, and other approaches, researchers assembled a high-quality genome for Aedes aegypti, a notorious infectious disease vector.

Cytokine patterns could be useful as biomarkers for identifying pregnant women whose babies may be at risk of developing Zika-linked abnormalities.

Researchers trained a machine-learning model to predict animal reservoirs or insect vectors for dozens of "orphan" viruses with unknown natural sources.

Using biorepository strains, researchers from the J. Craig Venter Institute and elsewhere profiled Zika virus consensus sequences, variant patterns, and phylogenetics.

The test is designed to detect the presence or absence of the Zika virus in serum or plasma collected alongside urine from patients with suspected infection.