When Two Technologies Work Together: A Test for Fungal Resistance

A yeast fungus can cause an infection—but not every medication is effective against every pathogen. In the case of the fungus Candida auris, it is therefore important to know whether it carries a genetic mutation associated with drug resistance. A new test, developed by AmplexDiagnostics and Scope Biosciences, specifically screens for such a mutation.

The test is called eazySNP C. auris FKS1 S639. It targets a specific location in the fungus’s genome where a single nucleotide can mutate. This small difference may indicate that the fungus might not respond as expected to a group of drugs known as echinocandins.

But how do you detect such a small difference? To do so, the test combines two methods that perform different tasks. The first is called LAMP. It amplifies the genetic material being sought so that there is enough of it for analysis. The second method uses CRISPR—a technology capable of recognizing specific sections of the genetic material. Two technologies from two companies. Together, the two methods help detect the specific genetic variation being sought.

This is exactly where the collaboration comes into play. Scope Biosciences contributed its CRISPR technology. AmplexDiagnostics integrated it into a platform for diagnostic tests. Thus, two specialized components were combined into a single application: The eazyMini device can be used to analyze the genetic material from a fungal colony. According to the project details, the result is available after about 45 minutes.

This example clearly illustrates what collaboration—in the sense of “collective intelligence”—can achieve. The partners did not need to bring the same expertise to the table. What was crucial was that they combined different capabilities: the technology capable of detecting a specific genetic mutation, and the experience needed to develop a diagnostic test from it and integrate it into a platform.

For Scope Biosciences, the project represents a step toward transforming its own technology from a research and development context into a concrete product for human diagnostics. According to AmplexDiagnostics, the company has been working for some time with molecular testing methods that detect, among other things, bacteria, fungi, and resistance markers. The partners were thus able to build on their respective areas of expertise—and apply them to a shared research question.

The test bears a CE mark in accordance with the European Regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices. The concrete added value of the collaboration lies, first and foremost, in having combined two technologies into a practical diagnostic test. Rather than merely exchanging knowledge, the partners have pooled their expertise into a joint solution. Whether and how further applications will develop from this will become clear in future use cases. However, the approach makes one thing clear: some challenges can be better addressed when different capabilities come together.

AI-edited