The Diagnosis of Malaria is routinely performed by microscopy of blood smears. However, in both developing countries and developed countries adequate expertise is often limited. Furthermore, this method is quite time-consuming. Flow Inc. has developed a product called the OptiMALr assay, which is an immunochromatographic test that can be used for routine malaria diagnosis without the need for an expert user or a sophisticated laboratory. This product has been successfully manufactured and masold via a commercial partnership with a larger firm. The current assay, however, has short-commings that must be surmounted to make an even more effective test. The test needs to be able to speciate all forms of human malaria species. Furthermore, it should be packaged in an individual cassette-based format to help with stability problems and make it easier to use. Finally, the test should be optimized to be more sensitive to detect very low levels of parasites in infected patients blood. The work described here will allow the development of a new test prototype that embodies these needed improvements.
