How to protect an invention for a new diagnostic test

Let’s assume that you are an academic researcher attempting to develop a highly sensitive diagnostic test for detecting specific viruses in saliva samples. One day you quite fortuitously discover a new—and not so-obvious—lysis buffer that significantly improves the test’s sensitivity and reproducibility. Thanks to this new lysis buffer, the procedure for isolating the viruses’ genetic material can be simplified, and the results can be analyzed far more quickly than with the current test. This is a great invention!