Made-in-Singapore antibody test for multiple viruses now used globally

A test developed by local researchers to help tackle the next pandemic is now in use in more than 90 countries.

- Zhaki Abdullah

Known as the multiplex surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), it can detect if a person has antibodies capable of neutralising multiple viruses to prevent disease.

Such antibodies offer protection against a variety of highly pathogenic viruses, including variants of Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

The test can also be used for other pathogens such as Ebola and henipaviruses, a group of zoonotic viruses such as Nipah.

Experts have warned that zoonotic viruses—transmitted from animals to humans, and vice versa—could spark future pandemics.

The test was developed by a team led by Dr Tan Chee Wah of the microbiology and immunology department at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and Professor Wang Linfa of the emerging infectious diseases programme at Duke-NUS Medical School.

It has a number of benefits, Prof Wang noted, especially its ability to measure neutralising antibodies. "Neutralising antibodies are a functional measure of your immunity. So if you have a high level (of them), you will most likely be protected against future infection," he said.

This ability to measure an individual's immunity can in turn be used to determine the efficacy of new vaccines, he added.