Business
Zentek Wins ISC Challenge to Develop a Portable Detection Device for SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater
GUELPH, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 4, 2021 / Zentek Ltd.  (" ZEN " or the " Company ")...
About this update from Zentek Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":"Zentek Wins ISC Challenge to Develop a Portable Detection Device for SARS-CoV-2 in WastewaterGUELPH, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 4, 2021 / Zentek Ltd. (\"ZEN\" or the \"Company\") (TSX-V:ZEN)(OTC PINK:ZENYF), a Canadian, IP development and commercialization company focused on next-gen healthcare solutions, announces it has been selected as one of three technologies for phase 1 of the Innovation Solutions Canada (ISC) challenge to develop a portable detection device for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. ZEN has received a $148,000 award from ISC to develop its first prototype.\"Our success in this ISC challenge is an important extension of Zentek's rapid detection platform based on the patent-pending DNA aptamer technology licensed from McMaster University. Although initial applications have been focused on rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva, we believe that in working with our collaborators, we can expand the application to track the prevalence and potential spread of pathogens through detection in wastewater as well. This is further validation of our technology as a platform not only for the development of new aptamers to detect different pathogens, but also detecting pathogens in different ways. This award and challenge confirm the emphasis that the Government of Canada is placing on pathogen detection systems. We anticipate similar interest from other end users who are interested in early detection of pathogen outbreaks like cruise ships and among vulnerable or isolated populations,\" commented Greg Fenton, Zentek CEO.ISC Challenge OverviewZentek, in partnership with Dr. Yingfu Li, Dr. John Brennan, and Dr. Leyla Soleymani at McMaster University and Forsee Instruments Ltd., have been chosen to develop a prototype based on the Company's patent-pending aptamer-based saliva sensor to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples within the next 4 months. The goal of the ISC challenge, sponsored by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, is to produce a portable end-to-end SARS-CoV-2 wastewater detection device used for wastewater monitoring and designed to remove delays in the test-to-result pipeline. An additional goal is to provide important outbreak surveillance data to public health units. The challenge is a competitive process whereby one solution that reaches the objectives of the progr...