Filipino innovator develops rapid testing kit for ASF

The Department of Science and Technology - Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) has developed rapid testing kits to determine the presence of African Swine Fever (ASF).

According to a “Game Changers” report on "24 Oras" on Friday, DOST-ITDI’s John Paulo Jose developed the Tuslob Rapid DNA extraction kit for an easier and faster detection process for ASF.

With the kit, the usual 2 to 3 days of testing would be cut down to only hours through the 3 easy steps of “Dip, Detect, Done.”

“Usually, from submission of sample to releasing the result, it takes 2 to 3 days… We developed a dip stick that can capture DNA without any use of equipment,” Jose said.

“For the dip tech, the QPCR master mix kit is developed for use outside the laboratory,” he added.

The rapid testing kit includes vital components such as Proteinase K that allow the breakdown of cells for easier DNA extraction.

Using the kits, the samples would undergo minor incubation and dipping of the samples into pre-mixed tubes of the PCR detection kit.

The tubes would be processed into a portable PCR machine, which would produce results accessible through phones or laptops within an hour and a half.

DOST-ITDI shared that it is targeting to publicize the kits by 2026. —Jiselle Anne Casuian/LDF, GMA Integrated News