Group 42 (G42), a UAE-based AI and cloud computing company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a UK-based advanced sequencing technology company, have developed a population-scale technology that quickly and accurately detects SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19
The end-to-end solution will be officially launched within weeks.
This innovation uses the LamPORE assay, based on the LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technique and the rapid sequencing platform developed by Oxford Nanopore, combined with the high-throughput automation, sample processing and reporting workflows developed by G42.
Population-wide testing can help break the virus’ transmission patterns, reducing the number of cases used in conjunction with a rapid response from the public health.
However, existing methods make it logistically difficult and cost-prohibitive for such large-scale processing. Developed by G42 and Oxford Nanopore, the end-to-end solution can dramatically reduce the complexity of mass screening.
This new solution is now being incorporated into the UAE national testing strategy, based on the LamPORE assay. The programme is expected to scale to hundreds of thousands of samples daily during a ramp-up period at the G42 sequencing facility in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, the solution’s flexibility also supports decentralised operations, allowing on-demand testing anywhere, anytime. G42 and Oxford Nanopore are working on the production capacity for the global deployment of this technology.
Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, said, “This breakthrough solution is a result of the tireless effort by our joint teams under the extraordinary pressure of COVID-19. The worst of the pandemic has brought out the best in us. We believe this capability will not only enable large-scale screening of SARS-CoV-2, but also fundamentally shift the paradigm on health diagnostics in general.”
Dr Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, noted, “Precise and cost-efficient population-scale testing is key to a responsible easing of restrictions, to protect the health of populations and supporting the re-opening of global economic activity.
“Rapid insights, scalability, and non-PCR dependence, all make a high-throughput screening capacity built on LamPORE technology the right tool for governments and organizations to implement mass-scale testing. We are confident that our partnership with G42 will allow us to successfully deploy this new technology around the world.”
