PCR Biosystems, the UK-based PCR experts, has announced the launch of qPCRBIO Probe 1-Step Virus Detect, a high-concentration 4x RT-qPCR kit designed specifically for ultra-sensitive, high-throughput detection of viral RNA sequences, including SARS-CoV-2. The new kit, which marks the latest addition to PCR Biosystems’ specialized RT-qPCR offering, enables users to add more sample to their reactions to boost analytical sensitivity, even when working with small volume reactions....
Beckman Coulter has announced that its Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay is now available in markets accepting the CE Mark. The company has already shipped tests to more than 400 hospitals, clinics and diagnostics laboratories in the U.S. and has begun shipping to customers globally. Beckman Coulter has more than 16,000 immunoassay analysers worldwide and has ramped its manufacturing to deliver more than 30 million tests a month.
Orgenesis Inc., a pioneering global biotech company committed to accelerating commercialization and transforming the delivery of cell and gene therapies (CGTs) while lowering costs, announces the launch of its new cell-based vaccine platform targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as other viral diseases such as Zika, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, MERS, HCV and Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV)....
EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces it has secured new contracts for the manufacture and supply of a novel, patented sample collection device which allows COVID-19 samples to be rapidly inactivated in the collection tube, avoiding contamination and preserving RNA without need for refrigeration. To support the increase in COVID-19 testing globally, a safe and easy sample collection and transport mechanism is essential, this is provided by the PrimeStore® MTM sample collection device....
The compact design of the VACUSIP system means it can fit on any bench or into any safety cabinet, offering the flexibility to be used wherever needed. With a hydrophobic filter to protect against contamination, and a fully autoclavable liquid path for easy decontamination...
AMSBIO reports on the pioneering work by researchers at the University of Sheffield, UK to measure the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 protein receptor binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 S1 RBD) and heparin. This has resulted in a new assay which could be a useful first screen for novel inhibitors of coronavirus infection. Evidence is mounting that SARS-CoV-2 uses heparan sulfates (HS) during the initial attachment to hosts cells, and this interaction appears to increase the affinity for the critical receptor, ACE2....
The first accreditations for laboratories conducting COVID-19 diagnostic testing have been awarded. The UK’s sole National Accreditation Body (UKAS) is responsible for the managing the accreditation assessments for all laboratories, in a process that is globally recognised. It has granted St Helen’s & Knowsley (STHK) NHS Trust accreditation against ISO 15189 (the medical laboratories standard), whilst the Metropolitan Police (Met) has been awarded accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 (the general laboratories standard)...
Illumina, Inc. is paving the way for large-scale, next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) COVID-19 testing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Illumina COVIDSeq™ Test, a high-throughput, sequencing-based, in vitro diagnostic (IVD) workflow enabling the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The end-to-end workflow extends the options available for labs to scale diagnostic testing...
BBI Solutions has welcomed the ‘significant progress’ made by the UK-Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC) – of which it is a part – to develop a COVID-19 lateral flow antibody test. Seven weeks ago, the UK Government commissioned the UK-RTC to develop a COVID-19 lateral flow antibody test that can be used by people in their homes. The UK-RTC says it has made ‘significant progress’ in both developing the antibody test, as well as progress with the regulatory and logistics challenges needed....
Advanced Biological Laboratories (ABL) has announced the CE-IVD registration of its UltraGene® Combo2Screen SARS-CoV-2 assay, now available for in-vitro diagnostics use. This test is intended to be used for the qualitative detection of nucleic acids from severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a clinical specimen. The real-time RT-PCR test aids the diagnosis of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection...
UK headquartered iPSC disease modelling company DefiniGEN has identified iPSC-derived intestinal organoids that could be used to help structure in vitro studies of the biology of SARS-CoV2 infection across cohorts of multiple patients. While SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the respiratory system, studies have shown that it also infects and multiplies within the intestinal epithelium. IPSC-derived organoids exhibit characteristics that closely mimic the in vivo intestinal epithelium, making them a valuable surrogate model for studying the virus....
Analytik reports how the renowned Quadram Institute (Norwich, UK) has invested in a ZetaView Nanoparticle Tracking Analyser to help them develop a new approach for vaccine delivery based on engineering the natural ability of resident gut bacteria to generate nanoparticle sized Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs). In combination with the latest developments in recombinant protein production established at the University of Kent, Department of Synthetic Biology and Bioinformatics, researchers at the Quadram Institute have identified key antigen targets within the COVID-19 virus...
Digital Science, a leading technology company serving emergent needs across the research sector, has released a report highlighting the global research landscape trends and cultural changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report How COVID-19 is Changing Research Culture analyses publication trends, regional focal points of research, collaboration patterns, and top institutional producers of research in COVID-19....
New UK Biobank research, led by the University of Glasgow and published in BMC Medicine, has found that black and south Asian ethnic groups have a higher risk of testing positive with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. These groups were also at a higher risk of testing positive while attending hospital, suggesting they were also at greater risk of severe disease from the virus...
Avacta and Adeptrix will collaborate to develop and manufacture an Affimer-based BAMS coronavirus antigen test that will provide clinicians with a significant expansion of the available testing capacity for COVID-19 infection in hospitals. Adeptrix’s novel BAMS platform combines enrichment of the sample to improve sensitivity with the power of mass-spectrometry to improve specificity...
To assist labs involved with the essential RT-PCR assay part of the “test, trace and isolate” strategy for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic – Ziath has introduced two optimized packages for reliable tracking of patient samples submitted for Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. For large-scale, high-density Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing labs...
Oxford Immunotec releases the T-SPOT® Discovery™ SARS-CoV-2 kit for research into measuring the T cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2, which may offer new insights into immunity to COVID-19. This kit is for research use only and launched under the T-SPOT Discovery brand. This research kit could make a significant contribution towards development of a new tool to manage the COVID-19 pandemic...
Indica Labs, a leading provider of computational pathology software, and Octo, a premiere information technology systems provider to the U.S. Federal Government, are pleased to announce the online COVID Digital Pathology Repository (COVID-DPR), a virtual collection of high resolution microscopic COVID-related human tissue images hosted at the National Institutes of Health....
Merck and Baylor College of Medicine have announced an extension of their ongoing collaboration to advance a manufacturing platform to fight Covid-19, designed to accelerate transition to Phase 1 clinical trials. “Vaccine manufacturing is extremely complicated, so we are collaborating on a process development approach to accelerate manufacturing of Baylor’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate...
By Professor Georgina Ellison-Hughes, Dr Rocio Martinez-Nunez and Dr Rui Ribeiro Galao, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London. With promises of antibody tests being rolled out in the next few days to NHS and care staff in England, and retailers told not to send home-testing kits as their accuracy is questioned, it is timely to consider what we do and don’t know about these tests....
Testing for coronavirus is an essential diagnostic and research tool for monitoring and managing the current pandemic. qPCR and RT-qPCR are proving to be powerful techniques for testing labs worldwide for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, each step in the extremely sensitive qPCR procedure can potentially contribute to experimental error and affect the reproducibility of results...
PerkinElmer, Inc. is actively working with our global customers – which include specialty and reference diagnostic labs, clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical labs, academia, and governmental and research institutes – to combat the pandemic. Our innovative detection, workflow, and research solutions are being used to drive better outcomes as the world responds to COVID-19....
PCR Biosystems, the UK-based PCR experts, has announced the launch of qPCRBIO Probe 1-Step Virus Detect, a high-concentration 4x RT-qPCR kit designed specifically for ultra-sensitive, high-throughput detection of viral RNA sequences, including SARS-CoV-2. The new kit, which marks the latest addition to PCR Biosystems’ specialized RT-qPCR offering, enables users to add more sample to their reactions to boost analytical sensitivity, even when working with small volume reactions....
Beckman Coulter has announced that its Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay is now available in markets accepting the CE Mark. The company has already shipped tests to more than 400 hospitals, clinics and diagnostics laboratories in the U.S. and has begun shipping to customers globally. Beckman Coulter has more than 16,000 immunoassay analysers worldwide and has ramped its manufacturing to deliver more than 30 million tests a month.
Orgenesis Inc., a pioneering global biotech company committed to accelerating commercialization and transforming the delivery of cell and gene therapies (CGTs) while lowering costs, announces the launch of its new cell-based vaccine platform targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as other viral diseases such as Zika, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, MERS, HCV and Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV)....
EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces it has secured new contracts for the manufacture and supply of a novel, patented sample collection device which allows COVID-19 samples to be rapidly inactivated in the collection tube, avoiding contamination and preserving RNA without need for refrigeration. To support the increase in COVID-19 testing globally, a safe and easy sample collection and transport mechanism is essential, this is provided by the PrimeStore® MTM sample collection device....
The compact design of the VACUSIP system means it can fit on any bench or into any safety cabinet, offering the flexibility to be used wherever needed. With a hydrophobic filter to protect against contamination, and a fully autoclavable liquid path for easy decontamination...
AMSBIO reports on the pioneering work by researchers at the University of Sheffield, UK to measure the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 protein receptor binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 S1 RBD) and heparin. This has resulted in a new assay which could be a useful first screen for novel inhibitors of coronavirus infection. Evidence is mounting that SARS-CoV-2 uses heparan sulfates (HS) during the initial attachment to hosts cells, and this interaction appears to increase the affinity for the critical receptor, ACE2....
The first accreditations for laboratories conducting COVID-19 diagnostic testing have been awarded. The UK’s sole National Accreditation Body (UKAS) is responsible for the managing the accreditation assessments for all laboratories, in a process that is globally recognised. It has granted St Helen’s & Knowsley (STHK) NHS Trust accreditation against ISO 15189 (the medical laboratories standard), whilst the Metropolitan Police (Met) has been awarded accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 (the general laboratories standard)...
Illumina, Inc. is paving the way for large-scale, next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) COVID-19 testing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Illumina COVIDSeq™ Test, a high-throughput, sequencing-based, in vitro diagnostic (IVD) workflow enabling the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The end-to-end workflow extends the options available for labs to scale diagnostic testing...
BBI Solutions has welcomed the ‘significant progress’ made by the UK-Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC) – of which it is a part – to develop a COVID-19 lateral flow antibody test. Seven weeks ago, the UK Government commissioned the UK-RTC to develop a COVID-19 lateral flow antibody test that can be used by people in their homes. The UK-RTC says it has made ‘significant progress’ in both developing the antibody test, as well as progress with the regulatory and logistics challenges needed....
Advanced Biological Laboratories (ABL) has announced the CE-IVD registration of its UltraGene® Combo2Screen SARS-CoV-2 assay, now available for in-vitro diagnostics use. This test is intended to be used for the qualitative detection of nucleic acids from severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a clinical specimen. The real-time RT-PCR test aids the diagnosis of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection...
UK headquartered iPSC disease modelling company DefiniGEN has identified iPSC-derived intestinal organoids that could be used to help structure in vitro studies of the biology of SARS-CoV2 infection across cohorts of multiple patients. While SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the respiratory system, studies have shown that it also infects and multiplies within the intestinal epithelium. IPSC-derived organoids exhibit characteristics that closely mimic the in vivo intestinal epithelium, making them a valuable surrogate model for studying the virus....
Analytik reports how the renowned Quadram Institute (Norwich, UK) has invested in a ZetaView Nanoparticle Tracking Analyser to help them develop a new approach for vaccine delivery based on engineering the natural ability of resident gut bacteria to generate nanoparticle sized Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs). In combination with the latest developments in recombinant protein production established at the University of Kent, Department of Synthetic Biology and Bioinformatics, researchers at the Quadram Institute have identified key antigen targets within the COVID-19 virus...
Digital Science, a leading technology company serving emergent needs across the research sector, has released a report highlighting the global research landscape trends and cultural changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report How COVID-19 is Changing Research Culture analyses publication trends, regional focal points of research, collaboration patterns, and top institutional producers of research in COVID-19....
New UK Biobank research, led by the University of Glasgow and published in BMC Medicine, has found that black and south Asian ethnic groups have a higher risk of testing positive with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. These groups were also at a higher risk of testing positive while attending hospital, suggesting they were also at greater risk of severe disease from the virus...
Avacta and Adeptrix will collaborate to develop and manufacture an Affimer-based BAMS coronavirus antigen test that will provide clinicians with a significant expansion of the available testing capacity for COVID-19 infection in hospitals. Adeptrix’s novel BAMS platform combines enrichment of the sample to improve sensitivity with the power of mass-spectrometry to improve specificity...
To assist labs involved with the essential RT-PCR assay part of the “test, trace and isolate” strategy for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic – Ziath has introduced two optimized packages for reliable tracking of patient samples submitted for Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. For large-scale, high-density Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing labs...
Oxford Immunotec releases the T-SPOT® Discovery™ SARS-CoV-2 kit for research into measuring the T cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2, which may offer new insights into immunity to COVID-19. This kit is for research use only and launched under the T-SPOT Discovery brand. This research kit could make a significant contribution towards development of a new tool to manage the COVID-19 pandemic...
Indica Labs, a leading provider of computational pathology software, and Octo, a premiere information technology systems provider to the U.S. Federal Government, are pleased to announce the online COVID Digital Pathology Repository (COVID-DPR), a virtual collection of high resolution microscopic COVID-related human tissue images hosted at the National Institutes of Health....
Merck and Baylor College of Medicine have announced an extension of their ongoing collaboration to advance a manufacturing platform to fight Covid-19, designed to accelerate transition to Phase 1 clinical trials. “Vaccine manufacturing is extremely complicated, so we are collaborating on a process development approach to accelerate manufacturing of Baylor’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate...
By Professor Georgina Ellison-Hughes, Dr Rocio Martinez-Nunez and Dr Rui Ribeiro Galao, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London. With promises of antibody tests being rolled out in the next few days to NHS and care staff in England, and retailers told not to send home-testing kits as their accuracy is questioned, it is timely to consider what we do and don’t know about these tests....
Testing for coronavirus is an essential diagnostic and research tool for monitoring and managing the current pandemic. qPCR and RT-qPCR are proving to be powerful techniques for testing labs worldwide for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, each step in the extremely sensitive qPCR procedure can potentially contribute to experimental error and affect the reproducibility of results...
PerkinElmer, Inc. is actively working with our global customers – which include specialty and reference diagnostic labs, clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical labs, academia, and governmental and research institutes – to combat the pandemic. Our innovative detection, workflow, and research solutions are being used to drive better outcomes as the world responds to COVID-19....