CloudLIMS, a leading laboratory informatics provider, and Folio, a leader in the digital identity world, offers an integrated solution that enables COVID-19 diagnostic testing laboratories to register patients, seamlessly manage tests, and digitally deliver COVID-19 results and certifications directly to patients efficiently and securely. The Folio mobile wallet, a biometrically secure wallet on patients’ smartphones, enables patients to receive, store and share their COVID-19 test results digitally with their employers or government authorities....
PCR Biosystems, the UK-based specialists in DNA and RNA analysis, have launched a range of IsoFast™ Bst Polymerase reagents for rapid, robust and sensitive DNA and RNA amplification. Through its nucleic acid strand displacement capabilities, Bst polymerase eliminates the need for the high temperature denaturation step associated with traditional Taq enzymes. This enables faster time to result and facilitates DNA and RNA amplification in the field without specialised thermocycling equipment....
Atik Cameras, a specialist designer and manufacturer of advanced scientific imaging solutions, has further expanded its collaboration with leading global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) DNA amplifiers, securing multiple new contracts to supply high-performing cameras for reliable COVID-19 testing...
CN Bio, a leading developer of single and multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS), otherwise known as organ-on-a-chip, has announced it has received a grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to develop human-relevant MPS to advance investigations into SARS-CoV-2 infection. The funding will be used to develop and test advanced cell culture models that represent different regions of the lung ...
PerkinElmer, Inc. has announced the launch of two Research Use Only (RUO) solutions, PKamp™ VariantDetect™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Assay and Next Generation Sequencing-based NEXTFLEX® Variant-Seq™ SARS-CoV-2 Kit. Using nucleic acid extracted from samples that previously tested positive, laboratories can use these assays to identify genomic mutations reported in relation to SARS-CoV-2 variants....
Nonacus, a provider of genetic testing products for precision medicine and liquid biopsy, has announced the commercial launch of a new service for Whole Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, developed to enable the UK government’s Test-To-Release scheme. Assay development for the new service was funded by a grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency...
Promega Corporation has released XpressAmp™ Direct Amplification Reagents that facilitate RNA extraction-free sample preparation that is automation-friendly. With this innovation, laboratories testing for COVID-19 have a new tool that enables them to skip the potentially bottlenecked RNA extraction step of the workflow and move directly to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification....
Avacta Group plc, the developer of innovative cancer therapies and diagnostics based on its proprietary Affimer® and pre|CISION™ platforms, announces that the AffiDX® SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen lateral flow test detects the dominant new variants of the coronavirus, known as the B117, or ‘Kent’, variant, and the D614G variant, as well as the original strain....
A new UK study will seek to understand the immune response to COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with certain immunosuppressed conditions, including cancer. The OCTAVE trial, which is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), is a collaborative research project involving groups in the Universities of Glasgow, Birmingham, Oxford, Liverpool, Imperial College London and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust....
Teknova—a leading manufacturer of cell culture media and supplements, purification buffers, and molecular biology reagents—has expanded the production capacity for its range of viral transport media. This strategy enables the company to not only continue supplying these important products in periods of high demand, but also to offer the best pricing available for products of this type....
Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced the launch of the Agilent Dako SARS-CoV-2 IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit intended for the qualitative detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in human serum or plasma. The kit, which marks Agilent’s entrance into SARS-CoV-2 testing in the US...
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a global leader of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, today announced the launch of the Bio-Plex Pro Human IgG SARS-CoV-2 N/RBD/S1/S2 4-Plex Panel, for research use only (RUO). The Qualitative Multiplex Immunoassay Panel Provides Precise, Specific, and Sensitive Detection of IgG Antibodies Against Four SARS-CoV-2 Antigens...
Capitainer has announced that Sweden’s Västerbotten Region will be the first region to use Capitainer's home sampling kit, qDBS, for antibody testing for COVID-19. Adults will be able to order the kit online via the national online health portal 1177 in collaboration with Direkttest.se. People over the age of 16 in Västerbotten Region will be able to test for antibodies against COVID-19 at home...
An international consortium, led by scientists in Scotland, have devised a Coronavirus Toolkit which gives researchers from across the world open access to materials, including antibodies and genetic tools, which can be easily and immediately ordered via an online portal – to further research into COVID-19. The toolkit was designed and validated by scientists at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research...
With the ever-increasing demand for COVID-19 testing, laboratories are placed under immense pressure for rapid and reliable analysis. Gilson's portable Connected smart devices can create a fully traceable and reliable lab environment from wherever you are, bringing confidence to manual pipetting within your COVID workflow and preserving the integrity of your sample....
PerkinElmer Changes COVID-19 Rapid Testing Landscape with Highly Sensitive Point of Care Antigen Test for Mass Screening. PerkinElmer, Inc. has announced the launch of the PerkinElmer® COVID-19 Antigen Test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen in nasal (NS) or nasopharyngeal (NP) swab specimens. The lateral flow immunoassay test can be used to screen or to aid in diagnoses of COVID-19 in asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals....
AMSBIO has introduced a collection of mutated SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and recombinant antigens for the new virus variants - B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. These reagents can be used by researchers to evaluate the efficacy of the antibodies and identify targets for development of improved therapeutic drugs and vaccines. Emerging in the latter part of 2020, multiple new SARS-CoV-2 variants are now circulating globally....
Linkam Scientific’s PE120 Peltier system formed part of the experimental set-up used to develop a radical new diagnostic test for the SARS CoV-2 virus at Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus, Ohio, USA. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted scientists to focus their research on rapid and robust diagnostic tests. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays – the ‘gold-standard’ for molecular clinical diagnostics – became available quickly, however this provides relatively long characterisation times...
Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, reports that its BioFlash® Biological Identifier is capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 in the air following tests conducted by the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The tests were performed using live SARS-CoV-2 virus in a Biosafety Level 3 containment area at Fort Detrick, Maryland...
A non-invasive test for COVID-19 with instant results would be a gamechanger in the efforts against COVID-19. Breath analysis shows a great potential for a rapid, non-invasive detection of COVID-19 infections. Follow our journey around the world, where we shine a light on current research projects where IONICON PTR-TOF instruments are deployed fighting this global pandemic by testing breath for COVID-19 in real-time....
Academics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, have been backed by the Government’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to develop an antiviral coating suitable for use on everyday surfaces. DASA, part of the Ministry of Defence, has commissioned a research team from Northumbria to develop a new type of multifunctional antiviral coating which could form part of the country’s biodefence - crucial to combatting public health crises such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic....