Scientists in Galway and Dublin are working together to develop a sophisticated test which it is hoped will quickly diagnose the symptoms of meningitis within an hour thereby saving children’s lives.
At present tests available to health professionals can take over eight hours to diagnose symptoms which can then delay treatment and put a child’s life a risk. The research being conducted is headed by Dublin City University’s biomedical diagnostics institute and includes university partners the Royal Collage of Surgeons of Ireland, NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, and Tyndall National Institute in Cork.
Prof Michael Berndt of DCU explains that the aim of the research is to develop a test that can sensitively detect within a hour whether a person has one of the three common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis. The rapid diagnostic test for meningitis would be one of the first to be developed through joint research involving DCU’s biomedical diagnostics institute and teams at NUI Galway. The two centres are also working on a rapid test that can assess the effectiveness of breast cancer treatments.
The Minister of State for Science Conor Lenihan earlier this week announced a €19 million research award for the institute provided by funding body Science Foundation Ireland. A new research centre that will house the institute was also officially opened.
The institute which was founded five years ago also involves commercial partners including Ortho, Clinical Diagnostics, Analog Devices, Becton Dickenson, Millipore, Biosurfit, and Alere. Together these will provide an additional €5 million in benefit in kind or cash in support of the institute, bringing to €24 million the full value of this week’s announcement.
