PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On December 2, 2021, The Minnesota Department of Health announced that it identified the first Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in Minnesota. The variant was detected in a sample collected using IBX’s RT-PCR saliva test and analyzed at IBX’s Oakdale, Minnesota laboratory. This sample was provided to the Minnesota Department of Health, Public Health Laboratories to perform SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing, which ultimately confirmed that the sample contained the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
“The Infinity BiologiX TaqPath SARS-CoV-2 Assay detects the presence of the virus and S gene drop out. By detecting S gene drop out, IBX can rapidly prioritize and perform viral genome sequencing to confirm if the S gene drop out is a result of Omicron,” said Shareef Nahas, Chief Scientific Officer, IBX. In addition to RT-PCR testing, IBX performs sequencing as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance program to enable public health officials to investigate the impact of variants on disease severity as well as the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment.
“The importance of having the appropriate rapid RT-PCR assay, sequencing platform and sample collection methods, is of tremendous value in not just confirming SARS-CoV-2 positive cases, but also variant transmission rates. This also has the potential to support correlation of sequencing data with vaccine efficiency and infection prevention precautions,” said Nahas.
About Infinity BiologiX (IBX): IBX is a market-disrupting next-generation central laboratory supporting academia, government, and industry. IBX provides global sample collection, processing, storage, and analytical services integrated with scientific and technical support in both the research and clinical arenas. As a leader in biomaterials, IBX provides support to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and research in the genomics, precision, and regenerative medicine arenas. IBX previously operated as RUCDR Infinite Biologics before spinning off from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in August 2020.
For more information, please visit www.ibx.bio
