Lateral Flow Assays for Rapid Detection of Invasive Aspergillosis

This project focuses on the development of a novel lateral flow assay (LFA) for the rapid detection of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a severe fungal infection primarily caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, with A. flavus and A. niger also contributing to the disease burden. Invasive aspergillosis predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially when diagnosis is delayed.

Current diagnostic methods for IA, such as fungal culture, histopathology and radiological imaging, are labor-intensive, expensive and slow. In contrast, our LFA utilizes a reporter to detect galactomannan, a key polysaccharide antigen released by Aspergillus species. This assay may provide clinicians with rapid results at the point of care, allowing for more timely treatment and better patient outcome. It represents an example of our LFA platform technology for the rapid diagnosis of various infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza A and B, and sexually transmitted diseases.