NHS hospitals could get DNA readers to help diagnose infectious diseases within five years, as the first publicly funded trial of the technology starts next week. Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) will put handheld DNA readers supplied by biotech firm Oxford Nanopore through their paces to see if they can help doctors reach faster diagnoses for pneumonia. It is one of the first big tests for Oxford Nanopore, a darling spin-out from the University of Oxford backed by investors including star fund manager Neil Woodford and IP Group. UEA’s trial, conducted in conjunction with UCL, will pit Oxford Nanopore’s MinION reader against two other non-sequencing genetic tests, as well as conventional NHS treatments.
Oxford Nanopore’s MinION hand-held DNA reader, which can sequence genomes in a matter of days, will be put to the test in a publicly-funded trial focusing on hospital-acquired pneumonia by scientists at the University of East Anglia. Backed by NHS, the 18-month trial will seek the most effective diagnostic tool for pneumonia, which is responsible for a quarter of all intensive care infection cases, with the aim of fast-tracking approval for the National Institute for Health Research use in as little as five years' time.