TRANSFORMING LYME DISEASE DIAGNOSIS: USING A SINGLE-TIER MULTIPLEXED VERTICAL FLOW ASSAY EMPOWERED BY MACHINE LEARNING

Rapid, multiplexed and low-cost diagnostic platforms that can assay the repertoire of antibodies formed against pathogens can improve the diagnosis of difficult to detect diseases, facilitating early detection and improving patient outcomes.In this work, we report a single-tier rapid detection of Lyme disease using a multiplexed vertical flow assay (xVFA) that employs synthetic peptides as diagnostic targets, complemented by machine learning-assisted analysis and disease classification.Clinical testing from two US repositories, including the Lyme Disease Biobank and the CDC, shows that the single-tier xVFA matches the performance of standard two-tier testing (STTT).This indicates the potential to replace the cumbersome two-tier centralized lab test with a rapid, single-tier point-of-care assay.