The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the special funding “RESEARCH 4 COVID-19”, will support, with 30 000 euros, a new project from ISEP to develop rapid coronavirus diagnostic tests.

The project Cdots Biosensing COVID19 involves the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), REQUIMTE - Chemistry and Technology Network, the Public Health Institute of the University do Porto, the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, the Clinical Pathology Service of the Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes Alto Douro and the Clinical Pathology Service of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário da Cova da Beira.

At ISEP, Abel Duarte, professor of Chemical Engineering and Paulo Ferreira, of Informatics Engineering, are developing bio-sensors using organic matter and low-cost materials. The aim is to simplify the tests, making the virus detection a faster process. 

From the 284 proposals, 66 projects were approved for funding and 12 of them are about Covid-19 diagnosis. All this R&D proposals must be of rapid implementation (maximum 3 months of development time).