University of Birmingham spin-out secures £1m to develop rapid STI test
Linear Diagnostics, a spin-out company from the University of Birmingham, has secured £1 million in funding to develop a rapid diagnostic test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that can deliver results in just five minutes.
The funding, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme, will support a three-year development project that will culminate in real-world clinical evaluation of the company’s diagnostic platform.
Linear Diagnostics says the technology can detect STIs faster than any commercially available alternative.
The platform is based on a proprietary method called exponential amplification (EXPAR), which rapidly amplifies DNA signals to detect bacterial infections.
The system is capable of identifying bacterial STIs, urinary tract infections, and viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 from a single sample in as little as five minutes.
The company is initially focused on two of the most common STIs: Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis.
Dr Jean-Louis Duprey is head of research and development at Linear Diagnostics.
Duprey said: “The most difficult criteria to achieve in diagnostic testing is combining rapidity with accuracy.
“While rapid lateral flow meets the ideal timeframe of 20 minutes to diagnosis, it struggles to meet market requirements for high sensitivity and specificity.
“And while nucleic acid amplification tests deliver high accuracy, samples are sent to laboratories for analysis, meaning the waiting time for results may be days.
“We are developing a near-patient device that will overcome this conundrum.”
Diagnosing and initiating treatment within a single clinic visit is widely seen as critical to breaking the chain of transmission—especially for STIs where patients may not return for follow-up or may continue to spread infections while waiting for results.
The EXPAR technology was originally developed and tested at the University of Birmingham during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new funding will allow the company to finalise the design of its cartridge and reader system and prepare for clinical evaluation.
The development programme involves collaboration with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation, and the North East Innovation Lab, part of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
These partners will support the evaluation of the technology and provide access to clinical samples.
