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Compost instead of plastic Dresden develops green rapid tests

Rapid tests have generated millions of tonnes of plastic waste during the pandemic. Dresden University of Applied Sciences is now working on a sustainable alternative. As part of the BioMat project, rapid medical tests are being developed from bio-based and compostable materials. One example is a point-of-care test to detect hepatitis D, a virus that can cause severe liver damage.

02/02/2026

The centrepiece of the test is the bioplastic polybutylene succinate, which is obtained from plant starch. The material is stable, storable and largely degrades within a few months under industrial composting conditions. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU and industrial partners, the injection moulding process was adapted so that even the finest microstructures can be precisely reproduced. The electronics are also designed to be sustainable. Thick-film technology is used to apply sensor structures in the micrometre range. The biological reagents are produced in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI and Roboscreen GmbH. However, the use of compostable materials in diagnostics is still being held back by regulatory requirements. However, the Dresden consortium wants to show that precision, environmental compatibility and cost-effectiveness do not have to be a contradiction in terms.

Press release of " Informationsdienst Wissenschaft e. V." from 02.02.2026

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