Developing a low-cost device for the detection of COVID-19 in healthcare settings, deploying a rapid testing solution to enable a faster turn-around for COVID-19 test results, finding the right antibody test solution for Ireland, and enabling the deaf community to interpret the crisis are among a suite of innovations being pursued under the umbrella of Dublin City University's new dedicated research hub established in response to the global pandemic.
The hub is leveraging DCU’s research expertise, in collaboration with national and international stakeholders, with a view to developing solutions that can be implemented and deployed within a three- to six-month time frame.
Professor Christine Loscher, associate dean of research and lead of the DCU COVID-19 Research and Innovation Hub.
Overall, 16 multidisciplinary projects are being supported by the university’s COVID-19 Research and Innovation Hub (R&I Hub) to work exclusively on addressing the challenges of COVID-19.
Developing novel solutions
These research projects are addressing five key areas: technologies for rapid diagnostics for COVID-19; responding to the challenges faced by frontline healthcare workers in hospitals and nursing home environments; developing novel solutions to enhance the national testing strategy; mitigating the impact on organisations, workers and the economy; tackling societal issues in a COVID-19 world (education, business, the citizen).
The newly established DCU COVID-19 R&I Hub has placed a particular focus on testing and turn-around times for tests, in response to the national and international testing crisis, with researchers collaborating across the university's STEM disciplines.
Efforts are now underway at DCU to discover the right antibody test for Ireland. When a person becomes infected with the virus, their immune system produces antibodies to fight the infection.
Use of antibody tests
The use of antibody tests can support population studies to track the course of the pandemic in the community, assessing the overall infection rates in the population. In addition, when the resultant immunity of individuals and its duration is better understood, such tests may also provide very useful information regarding the safety of those individuals in various environments.
At present there is no independently validated, commercial antibody test with adequate performance metrics. Dr Paul Leonard, (Faculty of Science and Health) is working with the HSE COVID-19 Laboratory R&D Product Solutions Group in order to determine the best antibody test solution and one that could form part of a national testing strategy.
A collaboration spearheaded by DCU’s Prof Stephen Daniels is aiming to develop a low-cost, portable device to check for the presence of COVID-19 on surfaces, especially those typically found in healthcare settings.
Enable early detection
One of the issues with the virus is that it can exist on surfaces for a prolonged period of time and in turn can be transferred onwards to people.The aim of the project is to enable early detection and thus interrupt the spread of the transmission.
It is relevant to all healthcare settings, but particularly to care homes for older or vulnerable persons.
Researchers at DCU’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing are exploring a 'lab-on-a-chip' test solution that will reduce the number of laboratory steps required in the current testing process.
If successful, it will result in a faster, simpler and safer diagnostic test which can be used by front-line workers such as paramedics, nurses and firefighters.
The R&I Hub also includes a novel project led by Dr Sinéad Smyth, of DCU’s School of Psychology, and funded by the Health Research Board.
Flexible resource package
This project is developing a flexible resource package to support children and young people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis (as well as their families and educators) to resume regular daily routines once COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.
It will also look to determine what the current and long term impacts of the COVID-19 related restrictions are on the wellbeing of individuals with ASD and of their parents.
The experiences of first responders who have to complete the testing, assessment and initial treatment of people with suspected COVID-19 is the focus of researchers at DCU Business School.
Led by Prof Caroline McMullan, the LISTEN initiative will document the challenges and experiences of those closest to patients with the aim of helping to create a bank of information to inform best practice and further build national resilience in the face of the pandemic.
The issues facing civic society and life in a post-COVID-19 world are being examined in a range of other projects including the compilation of a glossary of terms related to the pandemic in Irish; ensuring people who are deaf or hard of hearing can access STEM resources; keeping children learning and active during COVID-19 and crisis translation of coronavirus specific government communications for minority groups during COVID-19.
The president of Dublin City University, Professor Brian MacCraith, said: “The establishment of this Research and Innovation Hub reflects DCU’s commitment to developing knowledge of direct benefit to citizens in our society.
Responded in large numbers
"The DCU research community responded in large numbers to the call for proposals and excellent projects have emerged from across our five faculties.
"The hub brings our research strengths together in a coordinated approach to tackle a number of key challenges associated with the COVID-19 crisis, with a particular emphasis on testing, for example.
"Our aim is to make an immediate and significant impact by developing solutions that can be implemented or deployed within a short period, in six months or less.”
Prof Christine Loscher, associate dean of research and lead of the DCU COVID-19 Research and Innovation Hub, said: “The hub is a living example of a rapid response research initiative, placing collaboration, at both national and international level at the heart of what we do and bringing DCU’s interdisciplinary research capabilities together to make a strong and positive contribution by providing solutions to the many challenges we are now facing.
"The projects funded are focused not just on testing but also on frontline workers, children, vulnerable groups, students and businesses within our society.”