CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Clinical validation of Adeptrix COVID-19 diagnostic test
Avacta Group, the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, has begun work with the UK government’s CONDOR programme to evaluate and validate the high-throughput COVID-19 bead-assisted mass spectrometry (BAMS) assay developed with Adeptrix.
Molecular transport medium for dual SARS-CoV-2 and influenza sampling
EKF Diagnostics has added a novel viral transport media for the safe sample handling and testing of multiple infectious diseases from a single swab to its product range. PrimeStore MTM is a collection device that deactivates viruses.
Production of Platelia SARS-CoV-2 Total Ab test accelerated
Bio-Rad Laboratories is accelerating production of its Platelia SARS-CoV-2 Total Ab test, a blood-based immunoassay kit to help determine if an individual has developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus associated with COVID-19 disease.
Prepare for a winter COVID-19 peak, warns Academy of Medical Sciences
The UK must prepare now for a potential new wave of coronavirus infections this winter that could be more serious than the first, says a new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Novel sensors to detect SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in waste water
Avacta Group, the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, is collaborating with Integumen to evaluate recently generated Affimer reagents that bind the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein for the detection of the coronavirus in waste water.
Increasing efficiency of coronavirus sampling kit production
Xebios Diagnostics manufactures high-quality, ready-to-use culture media for microbiological diagnostic applications, and is using DOSE IT to aliquot viral transport medium (VTM) into sterile screw-capped tubes to meet market demand.
Equipment and reagents from Randox used in COVID-19 hospital in India
Randox Laboratories has installed an RX modena in a COVID-19 hospital in India, at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Madhya Pradesh state.
Rapid lateral-flow antibody test for SARS-CoV-2
Significant efforts are being made to protect public health and prevent local, regional or national spikes in SARS-CoV-2 cases. Antibody testing can determine population seroconversion and aid epidemiological and public health decisions.
Genes associated with high risk of severe COVID-19
Scientists from PrecisionLife have found 68 genes associated with risk of developing severe COVID-19 by using its proprietary AI-enabled precision medicine platform to analyse the genomes of 929 patients who had a severe response to SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19: impact on the NTM patient
A free webinar on COVID-19 and the impact on the non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) patient will be held on Wednesday, 8 July at 5.00 pm. Click on this news item for registration details.
Una Health and Fortress Diagnostics partner with the DHSC
Una Health, a distributor of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs), and Fortress Diagnostics, a provider of IVDs, are partnering with the Department of Health & Social Care in the Real Time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) study into COVID-19.
Use of digital pathology for remote diagnosis
Hamamatsu Photonics invites you to join a panel discussion with pathologist Dr Matthew Hanna and IT Manager Nikolas Stathonikos on Thursday 9 July 2020 (4.00 pm BST, 11.00 am EDT, 5.00 pm CET). Click on this item for the link to register.
Haematology biomarkers for COVID-19 assessment: an HORIBA white paper
HORIBA UK, Medical has published a white paper entitled ‘COVID-19 screening, prognosis and severity assessment with biomarkers for management of patients’. The paper provides a review of biomarkers that help in the assessment of COVID-19 severity.
Update on SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test development
Avacta Group has announced that the first Affimer-based rapid test strips to detect SARS-COV-2 spike protein have been evaluated by Avacta’s partners at Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences) and show positive initial performance data.
Pipetting solutions to make SARS-CoV-2 extraction faster and easier
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on research and diagnostic laboratories to process more samples more quickly. INTEGRA Biosciences offers a range of pipetting systems designed to speed up PCR-based screening workflows.
Predictive sepsis test for coronavirus patients funded by MOD
Ploughshare Innovations, a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) spin-out firm, has funded the development of a revolutionary test that has the potential to predict whether coronavirus patients will develop sepsis before symptoms appear.
SARS-CoV-2 droplet digital polymerase chain reaction test
Bio-Rad provides a wide range of products for use in the support of COVID-19 diagnosis and confirmation, and offers a suite of molecular testing tools including Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) systems and the SARS-CoV-2 ddPCR test kit.
Update on Affimer reagent therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection
Infectivity assays carried out by the Avacta Group in collaboration with the Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow show that the company’s Affimer reagents prevent infection of human cells by a SARS-CoV-2 model virus.
Adapt and succeed in challenging laboratory times
The Royal Society reports that every £1 invested in medical research delivers a return equivalent of around 25 pence every year, forever. Here, Katie Gray explains how UK laboratories are remaining productive during the lockdown.
Danish robots assist in European testing for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
A Danish pipetting robot is automating coronavirus testing processes in European hospitals. The robot, called flowbot ONE, significantly reduces the time it takes for laboratories to produce results for patients potentially infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Featured Supplier
Sysmex UK Ltd are one of the UK’s leading diagnostic suppliers of automated haematology, coagulation and urinalysis analysers, reagents and information systems for laboratories and healthcare facilities.
With a reputation for high quality products, unmatched service and unrivalled reliability, Sysmex has become a world leader in...
Upcoming Events
COVID-19 - The Infection Challenging the World
Online
11-14 May 2021
Lab Innovations 2021
NEC, Birmingham
3-4 November 2021
IBMS Biomedical Science Congress 2022
International Convention Centre, Birmingham
14-17 March 2022
Access the latest issue of Pathology In Practice on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.
Download the FREE Pathology In Practice app from your device's App store
