Towards Portable, Rapid, and Accurate Testing for Future Pandemics

Portable, rapid and reliable tests to prevent future epidemics and pandemics are approaching: innovative tools that combine ease of use with the accuracy of classic molecular swabs, the same ones that were used during the Covid-19 pandemic. Much progress has been made thanks to the European Eclipse project coordinated by Italy with the University of Bologna, and was presented at R2B 2025, the international exhibition of industrial research and skills for innovation.

Also collaborating on the project for our country are the University Hospital of Bologna, the Mario Negri Institute of Milan, the Universities of Milan and Messina, the Verona company Personal Genomics and Meta, an international company founded in Terni. "The use of a technology of this type is essential not only for the containment of future pandemics, but also to fight infections that cause millions of deaths every year in less developed countries", says Luca Prodi of the University of Bologna, coordinator of the project.

But that's not all: "The discoveries of Eclipse can also be used for other diagnostic and therapeutic needs - continues Prodi - for example in tumors and neurodegenerative diseases ". The project therefore aims at a faster response to future health emergencies , but also more equitable access to tests , a fundamental factor for contexts with limited resources such as developing countries. In Bologna, several new tools will be presented, which are the basis of several patent applications: innovative biostructures capable of reducing false positives and negatives, nanostructures capable of amplifying the signal up to 100 times compared to current standards , and innovative materials that allow the production of more efficient devices.