InSilixa Biochip for diagnosis of infectious diseases

On July 17, 2018 there was information that the compact biochip from biotechnology company InSilixa is capable to read out quickly key genetic markers that, according to developers, can accelerate considerably diagnostics and treatment of infectious diseases. Specialists note that the offered technology will help to reduce resistance of viruses to antibiotics and will allow doctors to appoint only those medicines which can struggle with viruses.

Usually tests for identification of microorganisms by their genetic code can be carried out several days or weeks as organisms grow up in laboratory. It slows down process of treatment and forces doctors to work "blindly", the type of a virus or a bacterium will not be precisely defined yet.

Researchers from InSilixa report that the provided biochip can complete scanning and define specific accessory of pathogenic organisms less than in 2 hours without the need for them to grow up.

According to developers, during the test the biochip allowed to define specific mutations which give resistance to antibiotics, among seven different microorganisms at the same time. Chip could also detect 54 mutations of resistance to antibiotics in the different strains causing tuberculosis.

On InSilixa assurances, in the future the biochip will be able to distinguish at the same time up to 100 species of microorganisms. Also the digital platform open source will be created to allow clinics to create worldwide the user chips for scanning of those species of microbes which are widespread in their area.^[1]

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