Dr Agnieszka Mikucka and dr Tomasz Bogiel from the Department of Microbiology of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the NCU Collegium Medicum and the Department of Clinical Microbiology of the Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz are in a team that introduced tests allowing to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus directly in the clinical material. And in just 3 hours!
The research was carried out with the use of BD MAX (Becton Dickinson) device based on the PCR method with reverse transcription and real-time detection (Real-Time RT – PCR) and tests with IVD certification.
The BD MAX system is a fully integrated, automated platform that performs nucleic acid extraction and PCR, enabling the simultaneous assessment of the occurrence of coronavirus genetic material in 24 clinical samples, obtaining the final result in about 3 hours. It is currently one of the fastest tools in Poland for fully automated detection of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while maintaining very high sensitivity and specificity of the results of tests.
What’s more, using the platform’s capabilities minimizes staff contact with potentially infectious clinical material, reducing the risk of infection and ensuring safety in the microbiological laboratory.
The research is financed from the funds of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and the Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1. in Bydgoszcz.