US-based medical technology firm Thermo Fisher Scientific has rolled out two new RT-LAMP solutions to support the research on viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2.
The RT-LAMP (reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology is said to provide a quick and low-cost option for detecting viral pathogens.
The new test kits include Invitrogen Colorimetric ReadiLAMP SARS-CoV-2 Kit, and Invitrogen SuperScript IV RT-LAMP Master Mix.
Collectively, the two new test kits can be used for detection of pathogens, molecular diagnostics research, and cancer research, said the company.
Thermo Fisher Scientific molecular biology vice president and general manager Dale Patterson said: “In the global fight against Covid-19 and future infectious disease outbreaks, researchers need cost-effective, easy-to-use solutions for rapid detection of viral pathogens.
“With RT-LAMP technology, researchers can accurately detect the presence of a pathogen by seeing a simple color change with the naked eye.
“Our new solutions enable frequent – even daily – surveillance without complex instrumentation or highly trained staff, making them ideal tools to support community surveillance in resource-constrained areas.”
Thermo Fisher has designed the Invitrogen Colorimetric ReadiLAMP SARS-CoV-2 kit as an off-the-shelf assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 from saliva, nasal or nasopharyngeal swab samples.
It works on two protocols, the one with a rapid, 30-minute turnaround time for crude sample types, and the other with a one-hour turnaround time for purified RNA sample types.
The company has developed the other, Invitrogen SuperScript IV RT-LAMP Master Mix kit to help professionals seeking to research or develop their own assays for multiple applications.
The test kit is aid to provide rapid and precise detection of viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, measles and influenza, within five minutes.
Its optimised master mix is compatible with multiple methods, and enables optimised assay development for various RNA and DNA targets, said the company.
Thermo Fisher Scientific vice president and sample preparation general manager Ellie Mahjubi said: “Thermo Fisher is committed to expanding access to solutions to aid global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance efforts as the world continues to monitor for new variants.
“For instance, we have introduced modified workflows that use room-temperate stable reagents to eliminate the need for cold storage.
“We are also gathering data on pooling samples to provide a highly affordable option for reliable population-level infectious disease monitoring that could be easily deployed anywhere in the world, including in developing countries.”
