3. Diagnostics

The Diagnostics Co-operative led by Dr Weng Ruifen functions to integrate complementary, multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) capabilities and strengthen the linkages along the whole diagnostic development pathway. Furthermore, it seeks to curate and assemble cutting-edge diagnostic prototypes which support different priority use cases to prepare for future outbreaks.

Lead

Dr Weng Ruifen

Dr Weng Ruifen leads the PREPARE Diagnostics Co-operative. She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, a national platform hosted by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). During COVID-19 pandemic, DxD Hub helped to develop and deploy a number of COVID-19 diagnostics products within months.

Inaugural Co-operative Lead: Dr Sidney Yee

Key personnel

Dr James Qu

Programme Head

Our goals

1. To establish an integrated and functional infectious disease diagnostic development co-operative with multidisciplinary R&D capabilities

2. To strengthen linkages across the diagnostics development pathway, from research prototypes to product, towards expeditious response to an expanded range of pathogens of interest

3. To accelerate the delivery of regulatory-approved diagnostics with production capacity

4. To enhance supply chain readiness and support expedited deployment for national testing

Our strategy

In moving towards achieving its goals, the Diagnostics Co-operative deploys a defined strategy by:

1. Glue funding bringing together integrated and multidisciplinary teams (biology bioengineering, chemistry, robotics, clinical infectious disease) to develop novel diagnostic technologies/ platforms

2. Top down directed R&D project funding to plug specific diagnostic gaps, up to effective working prototype

3. Productisation through to manufacturing of infectious disease diagnostic platforms by leveraging the productization engine at DxD Hub

4. Development of microbiology platform to accelerate product development by standardising the preparation, storage, access and distribution of Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2)-ready reference materials

5. Development of deployment workflow platform to identify critical gaps in diagnostics deployment, to enable rapid scale-up of reliable national testing

Our collaborations

The Diagnostics Co-operative actively collaborates with other co-operatives and cores within the PREPARE Program to maximize impact and efficiency in achieving its goals. Key collaborative efforts include:

• With Co-op 1 Analytics, Disease & Behavior Modeling and Biorepository Core:

  • Assessing the cost-effectiveness of home test kits for managing upper respiratory infections.

  • Leveraging the DxD Hub's productization engine to establish in-country ART development and manufacturing capabilities, including the creation of a multiplex ART for detecting common respiratory pathogens.

• With Co-op 2 Environmental Transmission & Mitigation:

  • Joint open grant calls on genomics and environmental surveillance.

  • Adapting a 2+1 PCR assay for wastewater surveillance to enhance early outbreak detection.

• With Co-op 4 Vaccines & Therapeutics:

  • Facilitating the sharing of antibodies developed from Co-op 4 grant support for diagnostics development.

  • Exploring the use of serology assays to support vaccine development initiatives.

• With the Biorepository Core and Co-op 5 Regional Networks:

  • Developing the Microbiology Platform to standardize the preparation, storage, and access of BSL2-ready reference materials.