It has become a key piece, whose main objective is to detect mutations by qPCR, especially in targets that can provide us valuable information about viral variants or human alleles, and to some extent, can indicate whether these variants are susceptible to particular drugs, which will allow the development of personalized treatments. As a first step, we are working on the development of MASTERMUT HIV: a system to detect mutations associated with resistance to some HIV retrovirals, as well as to quantify the viral load in a fast, precise and accessible way.

This axis is created from the need to be able to analyze more targets per channel in a real-time PCR reaction. Traditionally, we can only detect one target per channel in the thermal cycler. We are looking for the ability to use modified probes that allow us to detect more than one target at a time, using a second analysis step known as melting curve analysis. This will involve the use of some modified bases or special bonds, or even variations in the thermal cycler steps to get at least three blanks per channel. This would mean that a 4-channel thermal cycler will be able to detect 12 blanks per well, thus reducing the number of reactions required per kit.

For the development and maturation of assays based on nucleic acids, it is always necessary to use standards: samples that ensure the characteristics of those nucleic acids, whether in quantity, quality or composition. Some standards are commercially available, but they can be very expensive, and there are usually not standards for all assays available. Faced with this situation, at ITRASIG we have decided to develop nucleic acid standards that can guarantee quantity, quality, sequence and stability.

This guiding axis focuses on the optimization and improvement of existing detection and diagnostic kits, as well as the development of platforms that allow us to approach the detection of pathogens in any place and circumstance. An example is the NanoLUCi project.

The objective of this axis is to keep the information on diseases of interest updated, generating information bulletins and updating sequence databases. Information is monitored in different media sources, both formal (scientific publications, epidemiological reports, etc.) and informal (Twitter or Facebook posts).