Sharpdx develops SHARP, an enzymatic isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology that uses a bioengineered PcrA‑M6 helicase motor protein to split DNA at a constant low temperature, eliminating the need for thermocyclers. The platform delivers sensitivity, specificity, and speed comparable to conventional PCR and is designed for portable point‑of‑care diagnostics for diseases such as HIV, HCV, TB, COVID‑19, and influenza.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional nucleic acid amplification methods such as PCR require thermocycling equipment that repeatedly heats samples above 95 °C, limiting their use in low‑resource settings and point‑of‑care environments. This creates barriers to rapid, accurate molecular testing for infectious diseases like HIV, HCV, TB, COVID‑19, and influenza.
Solution
SHARP provides an enzymatic isothermal amplification platform that uses a bioengineered PcrA‑M6 helicase motor protein to unwind DNA duplexes at a constant low temperature. By eliminating the need for thermocycling, the system delivers sensitivity, specificity, and speed comparable to or better than conventional PCR while operating on simple, portable hardware. The platform supports both qualitative and quantitative assays, enabling single‑step testing algorithms for a range of human disease diagnostics. Its low‑temperature operation reduces power consumption and equipment complexity, facilitating robust point‑of‑care and potential home‑based molecular tests.
Target Audience
Primary customers are diagnostic manufacturers, clinical laboratories, and healthcare providers seeking compact, cost‑effective molecular testing solutions for infectious disease screening and monitoring at the point of care.
Features
- Bioengineered PcrA‑M6 helicase motor protein that splits DNA strands isothermally, removing the requirement for high‑temperature cycling
- Enzyme cocktail optimized for rapid amplification of nucleic acids and modified nucleic acids
- Comparable or superior analytical performance to traditional PCR in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and assay speed
- Single‑step assay format that supports both qualitative detection and quantitative measurement
- Designed for portable, low‑power devices suitable for point‑of‑care and field deployment
- Applicable to a broad panel of infectious disease targets, including HIV, HCV, TB, COVID‑19, and influenza