April 5,2020-BIOON/-According to the Austrian Federal Government and the World Health Organization, a significant increase in the detection capacity of novel coronavirus is essential to effectively combat the spread and spread of the virus, so now researchers at the University of Innsbruck are developing and evaluating a high throughput technique for genetic analysis of samples from patients; Recently, the researchers carried out several successful feasibility tests through a joint study, namely a high-throughput CE-PCR analysis for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Needle in a haystack
The new method uses a combination of highly sensitive end-point PCR and Capillary electrophoresis to detect the virus's nucleic acid signature in samples, compared with traditional real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, and the technique works by using special short-strand DNA sequences (Primers) that bind to viral RNA sequences, so that researchers can look for a needle in a haystack, with the help of special programs designed by the researchers, they were able to monitor small amounts of the novel coronavirus RNA in the samples, and the technique the researchers developed is unique in that it allows high-throughput CE-PCR analysis of large numbers of samples.
Researcher Michael Traugott said: 'based on this new method, we are also using reagents that are different from the traditional methods, so we are not currently affected by the shortage of raw materials, and because of the huge global demand for conventional testing, this shortage of raw materials has already occurred.
If the agency's assessment is successful, the University of Innsbruck's lab will be able to carry out up to 1,000 tests a day, and the technology will be gradually expanded, the researchers therefore wanted to find an alternative strategy to ensure that SARS-CoV-2 could be detected at high throughput levels even when supply conditions became very difficult. Based on this new approach, the researchers hope to contribute to the large-scale scaling-up of virus detection capabilities that effectively support resistance to COVID-19.
SARS-CoV-2 Fluorescent PCR Kit