6.11.20, The testing technology of the future: 36,000 samples in one night

A new method developed by researchers of the Vienna BioCenter, SARSeq, will allow testing of thousands of samples for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in just 15 to 24 hours. One area of application could be the monitoring of large groups of people, for example in companies, tested at regular intervals.

One of the most important tools in the fight against the corona pandemic is testing for the presence of the virus. Scientists around the world are working on developing novel methods, in addition to conventional PCR tests, that are more suitable for specific applications.

Ulrich Elling from IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences – together with Luisa Cochella and Alexander Stark from IMP – Research Institute of Molecular Pathology –, and both members of the DK RNA Biology PhD program, have now developed an additional method that could enable large groups to be tested for SARS-CoV-2, as well as other infections such as influenza, with high throughput and a turnaround time of one day.

See the full story in the Vienna BioCenter News.