Northeastern University

<p>Northeastern University’s Center for Research Innovation (CRI) is an impact driven initiative bridging the gap between laboratory research and need-based solutions. The CRI serves as the University-wide portal between industry and leading-edge innovations from Northeastern’s use-inspired research portfolio.</p>
<p>Over the past seven years, research activity at Northeastern has more than doubled. Northeastern’s cutting edge faculty focus their use-inspired research on solving the nation’s greatest challenges in health, security, and sustainability. The Center for Research Innovation connects private companies with the researchers and inventions that meet their business needs – now and in the rapidly evolving future. Our team of professionals all have business and entrepreneurial experience. We strive for a high level of responsiveness and service, moving with speed and flexibility.</p>
<p><strong>Industry Connections:</strong></p>
<p>The CRI is the University’s bridge to industry. We are continuously building relationships with companies to identify their key technology needs and to explore opportunities for collaboration. Our network spans across industry, from the Life Sciences to the Physical Sciences. The CRI aims not only to license individual technologies, but to form long standing partnerships with industry, leveraging the core competencies of our faculty and students.</p>
<p><strong>Collaboration Benefits:</strong></p>
<p>The CRI aims to move beyond the standard paradigm of one-off licenses, focusing instead on forming long-term relationships with industry. We look to assist companies with their ongoing technology needs, leveraging the expertise of our faculty. Collaborating partners can expect flexible terms and IP policy, “high touch” and responsive service, world leading research and development and access to Northeastern resources, including use of labs and equipment.</p>
<p><strong>Research Capabilities:</strong></p>
<p>Northeastern has cutting-edge research in areas such as the Life Sciences, Nanotechnology and Network Research. The CRI can arrange briefings from faculty whose research aligns with your key corporate priorities.</p>
<p>The CRI team is agile and responsive – focused on the translation of University innovations into tangible solutions through licenses, spinouts and collaborations. Our dedication to establishing ongoing dialogue with industry informs Northeastern’s progressive research, enabling a productive balance between exploration and implementation.</p>


<h1 id="background">Background</h1>
<p>The pandemic that swept the world led to rapid advances in detection and prevention of COVID-19. PCR remains the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. Identifying the genetic material of the virus, PCR provides a highly accurate and reliable way to test individuals. However, challenges do exist for PCR, as it requires analysis by a laboratory, can be more costly, and has a longer turnaround time of at least several hours for results. At home test kits have provided us with a quick and inexpensive way to test for COVID-19. However, these rapid antigen tests are typically not as reliable as PCR or other nucleic acid amplification tests. The rapid tests in the market are qualitative assessments indicating the presence or absence of COVID-19 antigens. They are not able to distinguish whether or not a person has infectious levels of the virus. A need remains for a more advanced at-home test that can provide highly accurate quantitative results, while remaining rapid and low cost.</p>
<h1 id="technology-overview">Technology Overview</h1>
<p>Transversal Therapeutics is developing a novel, rapid, and accurate saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostic technology that uses biosensors and nanotechnology to yield a quantitative result in just 5 minutes. This rapid COVID-19 virus test can be done by anyone, anywhere, has a comparable accuracy to PCR, and a shelf life of more than a year at room temperature. The device comprises a long-lasting saliva collection device, a disposable tip, a sensor, and an electrochemical reader. Transversal’s product specifically detects for ACE2 receptor presence to qualitatively assess viral load and has a detection rate higher than 90%.</p>
<h1 id="benefits">Benefits</h1>
<ul>
<li>Convenient at-home test with similar accuracy to PCR</li>
<li>Quick results in under 5 minutes</li>
<li>Cheaper than other options in market</li>
<li>Non-invasive sampling</li>
<li>1+ year shelf life at room-temperature, longer when refrigerated</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="applications">Applications</h1>
<ul>
<li>Super accurate at-home Covid test</li>
<li>Can be customized to detect Influenza A and B</li>
<li>Utility of electrochemical reader for other tests</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="opportunity">Opportunity</h1>
<p>Building business plan, apply for grant funding.</p>
