Miami-based GenoSur is teaming up with GenoBank.io to create "tamperproof" Covid-19 test results. Getty Images (Chunumunu)

Miami-based diagnostic lab GenoSur is teaming up with blockchain biometric startup GenoBank.io to protect Covid-19 test results from fraud.

The partnership will enable GenoSur to certify the results of Covid-19 tests using blockchain technology and cryptographic signatures, said Head of Business Development Camilo Padron. Instead of issuing PDF results that can be easily manipulated on platforms like Photoshop, the collaboration will create Covid-19 negative test certifications stored on a public blockchain that can be verified via a QR code.

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that keeps a record of all transactions occurring in a peer-to-peer network. While it's best known for powering cryptocurrency transactions, the technology can also be used to share records and other data.

"I see blockchain playing a significant role in the future of patient information authentication," Padron said.

A GenoSUR employee analyzing and processing samples at the company's Miami laboratory. GenoSUR

Here's how it works: When GenoSur lab technicians analyze the results of a Covid-19 test, a QR code will be generated. The code represents a unique digital signature, complete with a time stamp, that verifies the validity of that test result. That creates a secure certificate stored on the blockchain and accessible via a QR code. GenoSur and GenoBank.io report the technology could be used to verify a person's Covid test results in schools, airports, restaurants and workplaces across the world.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, GenoBank.io uses blockchain to help donors establish ownership and control over their biosamples and genomic data. In July, the startup – one of nine ventures selected to participate in Endeavor Miami's latest ScaleUp cohort – raised nearly $435,000 through an equity crowdfunding round. It recently established an East Coast headquarters in Miami led by COO Sharon Holm.

"We're very honored to be accepted by GenoSur ... as their strategic partner to develop privacy-preserving and tamperproof solutions based on blockchain," said GenoBank.io founder and CEO Daniel Uribe.