Univ. of Cincinnati researchers get $2.3M grant for flu diagnostics

A research team from the University of Cincinnati has received a $2.3 million federal grant to develop a rapid diagnostic tool for detecting the influenza virus.

The researchers aim to develop a library of carbohydrates that can be used to detect the presence of influenza in human samples, according to a statement from the University.

The researchers will work with a specific type of carbohydrate, called a glycoconjugate, which can be used to detect toxins. Upon detecting a toxin, the carbohydrate can react and cause something to change, such as the color of a solution, which can be read by a measuring device, for example.

Suri Iyer, an assistant professor of chemistry, and Alison Weiss, a professor of molecular genetics, will lead the research.

“Early and accurate detection of influenza strains is critical for effective countermeasures, especially since new strains — for example, the 2009 H1N1 strain — can spread rapidly,” Iyer said.

The five-year grant comes from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health.