CARLSBAD, Calif.—DCN Dx, a developer and manufacturer of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests, and DIALUNOX GmbH (fka QIAGEN Lake Constance) announced today that Sherif Bayoumy is the winner of the third annual Rapid Testing Innovation Award.
The award, which includes a cash prize of $10,000, recognizes the best innovation in rapid point-of-care assays or the most creative application for rapid assays during the past year.
At the time of the work that qualified him for the award, Bayoumy was a Ph.D. candidate in molecular biotechnology and diagnostics at the University of Turku in Finland. Bayoumy’s winning entry is a glycovariant-based lateral flow immunoassay to detect ovarian cancer-associated serum CA125. The entry describes the development of a quantitative lateral flow immunoassay of aberrantly glycosylated CA125, which is “widely superior to the conventional CA125 immunoassay (CA125IA),” according to the submitted award entry. The assay enhances disease specificity against many benign conditions that confound diagnostic evaluation, as well as against other cancers.
Bayoumy is currently a Marie Curie Ph.D. candidate at VU University Medical Center Amsterdam.
“The importance of rapid testing technology has really come to the forefront of the public’s mind this year since the emergence of COVID-19,” said Brendan O’Farrell, Ph.D., DCN Dx’s president and founding partner. “More than ever, we are looking for organizations to spark innovation and progress in the rapid testing industry. We couldn’t be more inspired by the entries we received this year, and we’re happy to recognize Mr. Bayoumy’s entry as a highlight of the innovation we’re seeing industry-wide.”
“The advantages of rapid onsite testing have never been more evident than this year,” said Michael Doumanas, DIALUNOX´s managing director. “Therefore, we were pleased to see so many outstanding innovations. Congratulations to Mr. Bayoumy for his achievement in this important field.”
The annual Rapid Testing Innovation Award is sponsored by DCN Dx and DIALUNOX GmbH. The award incentivizes creativity and entrepreneurship to positively impact human health; veterinary or environmental testing; biological, chemical or radiological defense; pharmaceutical manufacturing; food safety; and any other challenge that could be improved with rapid diagnostics.
ABOUT DCN DX
Since its founding more than 15 years ago, DCN Dx has been committed to furthering the rapid diagnostic test market through the continued evolution of technologies and applications related to lateral flow assays. The company is based in San Diego, Calif. For more information about DCN Dx, visit dcndx.com.
ABOUT DIALUNOX GmbH
DIALUNOX GmbH is a strategic engineering partner for the development of complex measuring devices and a manufacturer of compact rapid test readers. DIALUNOX delivers the precise illumination and detection of fluorescence or reflective samples needed across a wide range of measurement parameters.
The company’s approximately 70 employees develop, test, and manufacture measuring instruments at its headquarters in Stockach, Germany, near Lake Constance. For more information about DIALUNOX GmbH, visit dialunox.com.
