Could a pocket-sized lab prevent the next pandemic

Associate Professor Sushant Anand and his team in the Anand Research Group are looking to prevent future pandemics with an ultra-fast, paper-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device for affordable home diagnostics.

"This research was born out of the serious things that happened worldwide in the last couple of years, especially with COVID," Anand said. "One of the crucial aspects of disease management is identifying whether someone is sick or not."

The gold standard for disease detection is PCR, which can detect minuscule amounts of viral genetic material when specific primers are used. PCR is used in swab tests, which work well even when the viral load is low, although detection sensitivity can be affected by how and when the sample is collected.

"For preventive disease management, we need to make faster and cheaper tests. If we can make a device that people can buy over the counter and do the lab tests accurately, it would be the best thing to counter any viral outbreak," Anand said.

This research is unique because the team is developing a paper-based device that performs the PCR process. In PCR, one of the crucial steps is thermal cycling, which involves controlled heating and cooling in a short period.

"Doing this on paper is very difficult, because paper has inherently low thermal conductivity. We were faced with that challenge, but we brought in some innovative engineering solutions, and we have figured out one of the pathways to overcome it," Anand said.

"We are developing a miniature diagnostic lab on a paper strip. We are combining heating and cooling for a smart design that allows paper to detect viruses, pathogens and bacterial infections," added Gunipe Prasanth, postdoctoral associate. "Our vision is to create an extremely portable device that you can carry within your pocket, but with the same capabilities as bench-top diagnostic devices available in the doctor's office or diagnostic labs."

While the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the project, the device is designed to detect a range of pathogens. The researchers envision a master device with interchangeable cartridges that can be configured for different tests. Initially, the focus will be on detecting one virus at a time, with plans to eventually develop multiplexing capability to screen for multiple pathogens simultaneously.

Anand believes the device can help prevent pandemics and the spread of viruses with early detection if it is readily available in schools, airports, rail terminals and more.

"Having a device that can do all kinds of testing in the safety of your home makes the chances of spreading the virus very low. I think that would be a key for future remedial and preventive measures of disease spreading," Anand said. "Having a device available and the ability to get results rapidly could save countless lives."

The development of this technology has been made possible through strong partnerships and early-stage support. The team is collaborating with industrial partner Arete BioSciences, where Sam Pickerill and Kunal Sur provided expertise and ongoing support. Their support proved instrumental in guiding engineering design and the pathway to commercialization.

Additional support came from the Discovery Partners Institute, whose initial seed funding was critical to launching the project. The early investment, combined with subsequent support from the state's Innovation Vouchers Program, has enabled Anand and his team to achieve significant progress.

The research recently received $25,000 in funding to advance early-stage translational research projects toward commercialization from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Innovation and the Office of Technology Management. Anand was named a 2025 awardee of the Chancellor's Translational Research Initiative.

Anand and his team are working toward completing the prototype by the end of the year.

- David Staudacher, UIC College of Engineering