By Ask A Scientist Staff
01.05.2021
By the time news of a novel coronavirus started spreading beyond China, a global scientific effort had commenced to quickly develop diagnostic tests. One of those first tests was Thermo Fisher’s Applied Biosystems TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit, a frontrunner by laboratories worldwide. Consequently, the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit is now one of the most widely used PCR tests in the world, as evidence continues to mount in its favor. For starters, specificity, flexibility and sensitivity underscore the kit’s unprecedented success. Everything from sample preparation workflows to qualification of established qPCR platforms earmark TaqPath as a pioneer in assay design.
During the recent virtual event for the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2020 Annual Meeting, Thermo Fisher hosted an on-demand workshop to provide scientists with comprehensive insight into different assays, as well as the clinical performance of its widely used TaqPath COVID-19 assay. The event’s main speaker and expert, Paul A. Granato, Ph.D., DABMM, Director of Microbiology for Upstate Medical University in New York state, shares his recent work evaluating the specificity and sensitivity of the TaqPath COVID-19 assay as they compare to another PCR test, the Cepheid GeneXpert SARS-CoV-2 test. The results of Dr. Granato’s findings, especially as it pertains to workflow, are a must see for laboratory efficiency and sustainability.
Dr. Granato’s webinar comes just in time as the global demand for COVID-19 tests have brought many options to the market. In the absence of emergency use authorization (EUA) or other regulatory certification, labs must consider use cases, sample collection methodologies and overall workflows, as well as analytical and clinical accuracy. Therefore, the expertise of Dr. Granato and others are crucial in navigating the market during the era of COVID-19.
The results of Dr. Granato’s findings are a must see for laboratory efficiency and sustainability.
Dr. Granato highlights several important factors for labs that are looking to either start or increase their COVID-19 PCR testing volume. These findings include comprehensive assay comparison for the labs that want to quickly scale testing. For the labs already doing PCR testing, his evaluation can be useful for comparison or for changes in workflow or assay. For instance, Dr. Granato’s team evaluated 300 nasal pharyngeal specimens for their study, providing details and relative differences from sample preparation through test completion and results. During the workshop, he discusses differences and similarities between the assays with respect to extraction, amplification, detection and interpretation.
To learn about the real-world clinical performance of the TaqPath COVID-19 assay, please fill out this form to access these webinars.
TaqPath COVID-19 Webinar Series | Thermo Fisher Scientific – US
To learn more about Thermo Fisher Scientific’s COVID-19 Testing Solutions, please visit thermofisher.com/covid19.
For Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) only. For prescription use only. For in vitro diagnostic use.