Fisher Biotec E-Newsletter

Mawi innovation helps COVID monitoring

Mawi DNA Technologies has partnered with a leading US University in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. UC San Diego is at the forefront of investigating COVID-19 spread and symptoms and requires its students and staff to have fortnightly COVID tests. During the last year, the campus tested nearly half a million students and staff with an average test result time of 13 hours. Students and staff can now source self-administered COVID-19 test kits through vending machines scattered across the campus.

The collection kits utilise iSWAB-Microbiome technology as the transport medium and a swab to collect the subject nasal sample. The collected sample remains stable at room temperature for long periods of time and effectively inactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus making it safe for all populations. Once the sample is 'self-collected', it is submitted for testing through a drop box located next to the vending machine.

iSWAB Microbiome technology allows scientists at UC San Diego’s Expedited COVID IdenTification Environment (EXCITE) lab to quickly turn around samples and monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutations by sequencing positive samples. The EXCITE lab is also testing a new product called iSWAB-Microbiome-EL (Extraction-Less) that will allow them to skip the RNA extraction process entirely. The new extraction-less protocol enabled by iSWAB Microbiome-EL will reduce overall costs and cut processing time by nearly 50%, allowing the EXCITE lab to increase their daily testing output.