In 2020, for so many of us, life came to a shuddering halt. But for White City’s scientists and health partners, our work felt more important than ever. At the height of a national crisis, Imperial researchers and entrepreneurs stepped up to support the UK’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

Testing and then isolating patients quickly, before the disease could spread, was critical to slowing the virus. But when COVID tests were first developed, they were slow and unsophisticated. In most hospitals lab technicians had to wait two days for a patient’s test results.

Then, with a little help from White City’s community of researchers, one startup changed the game. DnaNudge, a company spun out of Imperial College London, developed the first rapid PCR test. Their work reduced the wait from two days to just 90 minutes, and more than five million of their kits were ordered for NHS hospitals.

Founded by Imperial scientist Professor Christofer Toumazou and Dr Maria Karvela, the company is now recognised for its major contribution to slowing the virus and helping to save lives in the COVID pandemic.