- Molecular medicine for medical, government and business use
- Reveals employee risk of contagion when exposed to the virus
- Determines if a person will be asymptomatic or need hospitalisation
- Tests carried out on site with 96% accuracy
Necenti Labs is a name you may not know now, but will soon, as it has pioneered a new technology that will bring the fight to COVID-19.
This innovative use of molecular medicine allows for the analysis of individuals to determine if they’re likely to get the infection and reveal how it will affect them. Crucially, this applies to asymptomatic carriers who might otherwise unknowingly spread the virus.
Following years of research into the origins of disease, Necenti has developed a groundbreaking biochemical algorithm that allows for the measurement of the epigenetic fingerprint at the molecular level, using only a small blood sample.
The result, in terms of COVID-19 specifically, is the ability to determine a person’s risk of contagion if exposed. It also reveals the symptom severity for that individual.
For governments, that means health care systems can more accurately calculate the resources needed according to the degree to which the illness will affect certain populations.
For businesses, this means a decision can be made on a person by person basis about who should work from home, in order to stop the spread of infection. A high risk individual should probably stay at home and work from there, whereas an asymptomatic patient could use this information that Necenti gives them to continue physical meetings, but taking extra precautions not to become a “super spreader” of COVID-19. Particularly in the case of a commercial director, for example, who is supposed to have meetings with clients all the time.
The local Necenti Labs team is sent to the place of business in dedicated vehicles that have been built to task. Employees can give just a blood sample before filling out a questionnaire, then return to work.
Several large agri-food sector companies are already in talks with Necenti about use of the technology in the fight against COVID-19, to help keep food production going.
This innovative technology was developed by lead scientist Dr Sergio Caja, a double doctorate in molecular biology and health science who specialises in epigenomics.
It’s Dr Caja’s research, over the last decade, that’s created the 100 plus biomarkers that form part of this Necenti100 platform, as well as the biochemical algorithm that makes this method absolutely unique.
Speaking on why he chose this path he said: “I decided that not only did I want to be able to cure the symptoms of the disease, but I also wanted to be able to diagnose before its symptoms were expressed in order to avoid all subsequent disorders.”
Originally developed for celiac disease, this platform proved perfect for COVID-19 detection as the infection is 100 percent epigenetic. That means that in order for a person to become infected, there needs to be certain epigenetic surroundings and a given molecular context present within the organism. This can all be measured.
The validity of the platform was found through research by Necenti in conjunction with the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Valladolid (which belongs to CSIC, the Spanish equivalent to the UKRI). Research was also conducted in parallel with the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital and the Murcian Institute for Biosanitary Research.
All that resulted in a 96% accuracy rate for COVID-19 testing.
Necenti is part of the Kiatt Group, a London based venture builder which aims to make laboratory results valuable in the real world, to create lasting changes in society.