Yu Le, an expert in biopharmaceuticals and founder of Foshan Proto DNA Bio-tech Co., Ltd., introduces the latest technological findings of the firm. [Photo/fs-hitech.foshan.gov.cn]

Foshan Proto DNA Bio-tech Co., Ltd., a high-tech firm in Chancheng Park of Foshan National High-tech Industrial Development Zone, has independently developed a new type of nanopore target sequencing test kit, which is able to detect a virus in 10 minutes.

Yu Le, a PhD holder and expert in biopharmaceuticals, founded the firm with his research team in 2020. The firm has now become one of China's first high-tech enterprises in the research and development of real-time, fast and accurate detection technology of pathogens.

Previously, Yu and his teammates successfully developed their own nanopore fast detection equipment, which needs only six hours to identify specific pathogens and drug-resistant gens. This equipment also holds a sequencing and interpretation databank that covers the sequences of over one million microorganisms and the information of nearly 20,000 human pathogens, saving valuable time in the rescue and treatment of patients.

Yu stated that it is of great importance to design a set of PCR-guided automatic nanopore pathogen target sequencing methods and systems in a drive to further improve the timeliness and accuracy of clinical pathogen detection.  Conventional nanopore sequencing technologies have been plagued with frequent and random errors and long reading in the past.

A researcher at Foshan Proto DNA Bio-tech Co., Ltd. introduces the newly introduced PCR-guided nanopore target sequencing technology. [Photo/fs-hitech.foshan.gov.cn]

The newly introduced PCR-guided nanopore target sequencing technology by Yu has effectively lowered the sequencing amount, cut down the costs of clinical detection, enhanced the depth of sequencing, and minimized errors in the process of pathogen detection, meeting clinical demand in rapid detection and the analysis of low-intensity pathogens.

The robust development of Foshan Proto DNA Bio-tech Co., Ltd. fully reflects the remarkable achievements made by high-tech research teams in the industrial development zone.

During the past few years, the administrative committee of the industrial development zone has cumulatively invested over 170 million yuan in the improvement of its infrastructure and in the attraction of high-tech research teams. These teams have made dramatic achievements in the commercialization of their research in biopharmaceuticals, electronic information, semi-conductors, high-end equipment and other key sectors.

A group photo of high-tech research teams that have settled in Foshan National High-tech Industrial Development Zone in the past two years [Photo/fs-hitech.foshan.gov.cn]

In the next step, the administrative committee of the industrial development zone will extend more support to local research teams in the expansion of their innovative chains, strengthen talent attraction and innovation & entrepreneurship assistance, and foster the development of strategic and emerging industries, as well as talent convergence.