History of origin

The idea for Detechgene was born in 2020 in the nephrology research laboratory at Cologne University Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic. The Nephrolab, which is directly connected to the central emergency department, experienced first-hand the challenges associated with detecting infectious pathogens. Right at the start of the pandemic, it was clear how quickly existing solutions reached their limits. The huge influx of patients made it almost impossible to distinguish infectious from non-infectious people or to isolate patients efficiently. This problem was not limited to the emergency department, but also occurred in many other areas. It quickly became clear how essential comprehensive testing is in order to identify sources of infection and break chains of infection. At the time, however, the current rapid test diagnostics were limited exclusively to antibody-based detection of pathogens, which had little or no relevance in the clinical environment. The desire arose to combine simple handling with a high-precision detection method that would even meet clinical requirements and standards.

The solution was the first idea sketch for Detechgene, which envisaged a concept for mobile nucleic acid amplification in a cartridge. Even before the first prototypes and ideas for the test were developed, the proof of concept was tested and validated in the laboratory at CECAD in Cologne. Based on these findings, Detechgene was founded to develop mobile, precise and easy-to-use rapid tests that could overcome such challenges and keep pace with the gold standard of PCR diagnostics.