22,860 SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus tests in 24 hours with NEXTGENPCR
Goes, Netherlands, March 31, 2020 – Dutch biotechnology company, Molecular Biology Systems, B.V. (MBS) has developed a method using its revolutionary NEXTGENPCR™ endpoint thermocycler and consumables that decreases PCR amplification time for SARS-CoV-2 to eight minutes. Combined with smaller reaction volumes, increased samples per run, and standard, affordable laboratory equipment, a qualitative protocol was generated that could readily detect SARS-CoV-2 control DNA, with equivalent sensitivity. A single unit, the size of a shoebox, could perform a hundred and eighty (180) amplification runs a day, an almost ten-fold increase over the current US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended instrumentation. Detection of amplified product can be done with widely-available blue light gel document systems.
“We sought to decrease what we identified as the longest step in the current testing scheme, amplification.” says MBS CEO and founder, Gert de Vos. “We started with the CDC assay because it is well characterized and has been readily available.”
Since the NEXTGENPCR™ accepts both 96 and 384-well reaction plates, MBS tested both versions to increase throughput. By utilizing 384-well plates, the machine successfully processed four times as many samples without a loss in performance. The 384-well reaction chambers only require twenty-five percent of the reaction volume which would lower the supply burden placed on laboratories following the current CDC protocol.
NEXTGENPCR™ machines launched about two years ago and are available globally. Gert de Vos stated “This protocol produces a simple yes/no answer — so a single machine, is capable of running 24/7, with 8-minute runs may provide a scalable screening solution analyzing 22,860 samples per day.”
MBS is now collaborating with testing laboratories in the USA and the Netherlands to transfer and validate the method.
About Molecular Biology Systems
Molecular Biology Systems, B.V., founded in 2015, is a molecular biology solutions company based in Netherlands. Their NEXTGENPCR thermocycler uses patented heating and cooling technology to reduce PCR amplification cycles from hours to minutes. These technological advances are intended to support laboratorians across the life sciences market reduce costs and accelerate results.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2020 Molecular Biology Systems, B.V. All rights reserved.
