PAS Institute of Human Genetics joins the fight against COVID-19
The Institute has just launched COVID-19 Diagnostic Laboratory. This is yet another PAS institute that due to epidemiological situation offered its help in carrying out the tests.
The COVID-19 Diagnostics Laboratory was established in a specially renovated part of the Institute and equipped with appropriate apparatus and materials, which meet all relevant biosafety requirements.
The team performing COVID-19 tests consists of certified laboratory diagnosticians, specialists in laboratory medical genetics and clinical genetics. All of them are scientific employees of the Institute.
The laboratory can work 24 hours a day and eventually perform up to 450 tests per day. The initial isolation of the virus from a specimen obtained from the patient takes place in Poznań Sanitary Inspectorate. Then the safe samples are sent to the Institute, where further diagnostic steps are carried out.
Initially, the Laboratory will work on the basis of commercial diagnostic tests, however, the Institute is already developing its own test to enable the diagnostic procedure to be conducted at a lower cost. The Institute is also working on a completely innovative technological approach to coronavirus RNA detection, which may significantly simplify COVID-19 diagnostics and shorten the waiting time for test results.
Support from the PAS institutes
The institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences provide their specialized equipment, and scientists and doctoral students carry out tests for the presence of coronavirus, thus supporting the National Sanitary Inspectorate. So far, such actions have been taken by:
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy in Wrocław;
- Institute of Medical Biology in Łódź;
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in Poznań;
- Institute of Human Genetics in Poznań.
While these four institutes do COVID-19 testing the PAS Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering developed device named Ventil. When connected to ventilator, it can be used to service two patients at the same time. The Ventil manufacture is underway. It is financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Source of information and photo: Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences
