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. The project, called “Patient Zero”, is being run as part of an international collaboration between Oxford Nanopore and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
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 the National Institute for Health Research, 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 NHS use in as little as five years' time.