Vaccines are critical, but we can’t forget about the important role of diagnostics in pandemic containment—which is why we’re excited about news from a BIO member that created a new PCR-based test that can detect COVID-19 variants more quickly than DNA sequencing.
Novozymes, in collaboration with Copenhagen University Hospital and University of Oxford, is developing a PCR-based rapid test to detect new COVID-19 variants—including those from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa.
The company develops products with enzymes and microbes to solve some of our biggest challenges—such as products to more effectively and sustainably clean surgical devices, or convert corn fiber into low-carbon ethanol.
The new diagnostic tool “identifies what variant a patient is carrying in as little as 40 minutes, with results processed and delivered within 24 hours. Up to 120 samples can be analyzed in two hours,” reports The Telegraph.
Centered around a molecule and “requiring only a small tweak to PCR tests,”as The New Scientist explains, the test is faster than DNA sequencing and can be adjusted to catch new variants that may pop up in the future.
The new protocol is currently being tested on patient material. The expectation is that the protocol can be scaled up soon.
Want to know more about Novozymes? Hear directly from the company’s scientists who are using enzymes to create better patient outcomes and a cleaner planet. To watch them tell their stories, visit www.bio.org/iambio.
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