Professor Shekhar Kumta, a clinician experienced in managing kidney failure in trauma and complex surgical patients, and Head of the Clinical Translational Research Partnership between RMIT University and Northern Hospital, said current methods often delay diagnosis.

Detecting kidney injury currently relies on testing kidney function, such as their ability to filter out creatinine. However, as creatinine build-up takes time, it can take hours or days to detect a noticeable difference.

"Changes in the kidney function lag the damage to the complex structure of the kidney," Kumta explained.

"A new test that can directly investigate the damage to different parts of the kidneys will be a real game-changer."

To do this, the team is developing their patented DNA aptamers that detect specific biomarkers associated with structural kidney damage.

"These new blood tests will be able to diagnose the root cause of the acute kidney injury early, which will play an important role in more clearly defining the optimal clinical management plan for patients," Kumta said.

Similar tests customised for at-home regular monitoring of chronic kidney disease could help over 850 million patients worldwide, with the potential to sit alongside the blood glucose monitoring many diabetics use as part of their daily routine.