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Rapid conversion of laboratory infrastructure to build COVID-19 testing capacity in the pandemic

Grant number: unknown

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19

  • Start & end year

    2020
    2020

  • Known Financial Commitments (USD)

    $54,500

  • Funder

    WWTF Austria

  • Principal Investigator

    Alwin Koehler

  • Research Location

    Austria

  • Lead Research Institution

    Max Perutz Labs (University of Vienna)

  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A

  • Research Category

    Pathogen: natural history, transmission and diagnostics

  • Research Subcategory

    Diagnostics

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Not applicable

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Not Applicable

  • Vulnerable Population

    Not applicable

  • Occupations of Interest

    Not applicable

Abstract

The Vienna COVID-19 Diagnostic Initiative was founded with the aim of using the infrastructure of research institutes to provide urgently needed test capacity. This includes the fully automatic extraction of virus RNA, its detection by high-throughput qPCR, the production of in-house, inexpensive reagents and the establishment of logistical / diagnostic interfaces to existing healthcare providers. The aim is to develop an adaptable process that will help other universities and research institutions to quickly contribute to national testing capacity for COVID-19 or other emerging epidemics. Data is generated and evaluated on how such a pipeline is technically produced, how the pipeline is optimized, how protocols can be distributed and implemented quickly.