Decoding Feluda: The test that detects Covid-19 quickly, cheaply and easily

Named after Detective Feluda, a character created by filmmaker and writer, Satyajit Ray, the test based on the CRISPR technology is easy to use, gives faster results at a lower cost

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the commercial launch of ‘Feluda’, the Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) Covid-19 test on Saturday. The new test - Feluda, named after the fictional detective character created by renowned filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray is said to be easy to use, provides faster results and at a much lower cost than existing Covid tests such as the RT-PCR. We try to find out how this test works and what it means for India’s testing capacity.  

What is the technology behind this test?

This test uses an indigenously developed CRISPR