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....

Avacta Group plc, the developer of Affimer® biotherapeutics and reagents, announces that it has received the first data for its SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test from ongoing clinical studies in Europe and the UK. These data show excellent performance of the test in identifying patients with an infectious viral load and no false positive results. Avacta’s SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test has been developed to identify infectious individuals so that they can isolate promptly and reduce the spread of COVID-19....

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...

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....

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....

SeqOnce Biosciences, Inc., announces the launch of its new AzureSeq One-Step Universal RT-qPCR kit for the detection of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 N501Y variant. The AzureSeq One-Step Universal SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR N501Y kit uses a single-tube reaction targeting the N1 nucleocapsid gene, both alleles of S gene N501Y (A23063T), and includes RNaseP as a control. The assay uses common qPCR instruments with detection channels of FAM, HEX, Cy5, and ROX...

LGC, Biosearch Technologies announce the release of a new set of ValuPanel™ Reagents to help the efforts of public health laboratories to detect SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B. The CDC Influenza SARS-CoV-2 (Flu SC2) Multiplex ValuPanel Reagents - which are for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures - consists of probes and primers for multiplex RT-PCR detection and allows discrimination of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B from a single patient sample....

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that it has expanded into new larger manufacturing facilities at Llandough Trading Estate, Cardiff, to increase production of PrimeStore^® MTM viral transport media, a key component for the COVID-19 testing regime. The new facility is over 600 sq. metres, representing a 100% increase in manufacturing area. This enables EKF to fill 36,000 PrimeStore MTM tubes daily and meet growing UK and EU demand for this...

Avacta Group plc, the developer of Affimer^® biotherapeutics and reagents, and Mologic Ltd has announced that they have entered into a commercial partnership to accelerate to market Avacta’s AffiDX™ SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow rapid antigen test. Avacta will also support antigen testing in low and middle income countries by providing access to Avacta’s spike antigen test through Mologic....

LAUDA, the world market leader in temperature control equipment and systems, is expanding its portfolio with the new LAUDA Versafreeze product line. This consists of high-quality ultra-freezers which have been optimized for the extreme requirements of deep-freeze storage. LAUDA thereby meets the requirements of vaccine producers, pharmaceutical service providers, vaccination centers and universities for the safe storage of temperature-sensitive corona vaccines and valuable medicines, chemical substances or biological samples....

Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc. (ATL), a leader in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), continues the 2021 LIMS Webcast Series on Wednesday, February 17th with LIMS Can Help Your Laboratory Manage COVID Challenges. The webcast will offer guidance on how a LIMS can be utilized to help organizations manage their laboratory operations and support essential workers during the current COVID-19 pandemic....