Cornell Researchers Secure $250,000 Grant for TB Diagnostic Innovation

A team from Cornell University has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Gates Foundation to develop a low-cost, battery-powered device aimed at improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics. The project centers around the MAGNILyser, a portable device designed to enhance sample preparation for TB testing in regions with limited laboratory access and infrastructure.

The MAGNILyser works by heating bacteria in patient samples, ensuring they are safe to handle, and then breaking them open to extract their DNA, which is critical for accurate molecular detection. Tuberculosis is among the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, causing millions of infections and deaths each year.

David Erickson, director of the Center for Point of Care Technologies for Nutrition, Infection and Cancer (PORTENT) at Cornell, is leading the project. He collaborates with Saurabh Mehta, a professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, and Dr. Aggrey S. Semeere, head of Prevention, Care and Treatment at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) in Kampala, Uganda.

Graduate student Jason Manning conceived the idea for the MAGNILyser in the Erickson Lab. Erickson explained that the device combines heat inactivation and mechanical lysis into a single process. This approach aims to simplify and reduce the cost of sample preparation, making it suitable for resource-limited settings.

Current TB testing relies on complex, energy-intensive equipment and trained personnel, which limits accessibility in low- and middle-income countries. The Cornell-led initiative seeks to automate and miniaturize the most challenging step—sample preparation—to facilitate accurate TB diagnosis in rural and underserved areas.

“The MAGNILyser enables on-site patient sample processing for decentralized testing in rural and resource-limited settings, where improved TB testing is essential,” said Erickson. He highlighted that this device will provide clinicians with a low-cost, automated workflow to prepare PCR-ready specimens, leading to faster diagnoses.

Over the next two years, Erickson and his team will create functional prototypes of the MAGNILyser at Cornell University. They plan to validate the device’s performance through laboratory tests, assessing inactivation efficiency, DNA yield, and reproducibility. Following this, field usability and reliability assessments will be conducted in collaboration with IDI in Uganda, focusing on practical use under real-world conditions.

Supported by PORTENT’s global network, which connects scientists, engineers, and clinicians across Uganda, India, Ecuador, and the United States, the project will also leverage guidance from the center’s Lab-to-Market Accelerator. This initiative will assist in developing regulatory strategies and business plans to transition the MAGNILyser from a laboratory prototype to a deployable diagnostic tool.

Erickson emphasized that the MAGNILyser project reflects PORTENT’s dedication to global health innovation. The aim is to translate advanced laboratory technology into practical tools that can have real-world impacts, particularly in low-resource and point-of-care settings. By minimizing both the device costs and the cost per sample, the MAGNILyser aspires to improve access to diagnostics in rural and low-income communities often overlooked.

PORTENT focuses on converting breakthrough point-of-care diagnostics into rapid, affordable tests designed to alleviate the burden of chronic diseases, curb infectious threats, and enhance prevention efforts across the United States. By integrating technology development with clinical validation and market strategies, PORTENT accelerates early detection of various health conditions, allowing healthcare providers to intervene sooner and ultimately reduce healthcare costs.