Ivana Pennisi (Italy)
imperial college Infectious DiseaseAuthor Of 1 Presentation
A NOVEL AND POWER-FREE SAMPLE PREPARATION METHOD TO ALLOW RAPID DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 RNA FROM NASOPHARYNGEAL SAMPLES
Abstract
Backgrounds:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to over five million deaths worldwide highlighting an unprecedented need for rapid diagnostic screening. The gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis is the collection of a nasopharyngeal swab subsequently processed with an RNA extraction kit requiring electricity and expensive laboratory equipment. Therefore, the diagnosis of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is rarely achievable at a point-of-care (POC) and instead relegated to remote centralized laboratories. To address this need, our team has developed an innovative, rapid and easy to use sample preparation method for RNA extraction allowing for true POC application.
Methods
The SmartLidTM extraction method utilizes a custom 3D printed magnetic lid, designed to work with standard Eppendorf tubes, to transfer magnetic nanoparticles and attached RNA through three sample preparation steps. This is in contrast to all other manual extraction methods, which require expensive micropipettes, lab training and electrical power. The whole extraction process is performed within five minutes providing pure RNA adequate for downstream applications.
Results:
A total of 410 nasopharyngeal swabs has been tested (including 150 COVID-positive subjects). All clinical isolates were extracted by the SmartLid and the gold standard QIAmp Viral RNA methods and tested by the CDC RT-qPCR assays. The SmartLid method achieved 93.9% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity compared to the QIAmp Viral RNA showing equivalent performance.
Conclusions/Learning Points:
The extraction method presented can compete favourably with conventional laboratory-based extraction techniques which require expensive equipment and electricity, and which incur delays of over 45 minutes. The method has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from collaborators, who have tested it in CAT3 laboratory environments, and from visiting clinicians with experience in LMIC diagnostics. Thus, there is a clear interest for implementation in a domestic clinical/laboratory setting (NHS),and LMIC remote point-of-care setting.
Presenter of 1 Presentation
A NOVEL AND POWER-FREE SAMPLE PREPARATION METHOD TO ALLOW RAPID DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 RNA FROM NASOPHARYNGEAL SAMPLES
Abstract
Backgrounds:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to over five million deaths worldwide highlighting an unprecedented need for rapid diagnostic screening. The gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis is the collection of a nasopharyngeal swab subsequently processed with an RNA extraction kit requiring electricity and expensive laboratory equipment. Therefore, the diagnosis of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is rarely achievable at a point-of-care (POC) and instead relegated to remote centralized laboratories. To address this need, our team has developed an innovative, rapid and easy to use sample preparation method for RNA extraction allowing for true POC application.
Methods
The SmartLidTM extraction method utilizes a custom 3D printed magnetic lid, designed to work with standard Eppendorf tubes, to transfer magnetic nanoparticles and attached RNA through three sample preparation steps. This is in contrast to all other manual extraction methods, which require expensive micropipettes, lab training and electrical power. The whole extraction process is performed within five minutes providing pure RNA adequate for downstream applications.
Results:
A total of 410 nasopharyngeal swabs has been tested (including 150 COVID-positive subjects). All clinical isolates were extracted by the SmartLid and the gold standard QIAmp Viral RNA methods and tested by the CDC RT-qPCR assays. The SmartLid method achieved 93.9% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity compared to the QIAmp Viral RNA showing equivalent performance.
Conclusions/Learning Points:
The extraction method presented can compete favourably with conventional laboratory-based extraction techniques which require expensive equipment and electricity, and which incur delays of over 45 minutes. The method has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from collaborators, who have tested it in CAT3 laboratory environments, and from visiting clinicians with experience in LMIC diagnostics. Thus, there is a clear interest for implementation in a domestic clinical/laboratory setting (NHS),and LMIC remote point-of-care setting.