📋 Tender Overview
Since the beginning of May scientists from Danube University Krems and the Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences have been supporting the St. Plten and Krems University Clinics in detecting infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The state of Lower Austria is now supporting the expansion of the PCR test laboratory at Danube University Krems by financing a device for automated sample preparation. So far over 10000 samples have been tested in the biomedical laboratories of Danube University Krems. This relieves the burden on our clinics massively and it is once again proof of how relevant science is in Lower Austria says Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.Currently up to 300 nasopharyngeal swabs are tested for SARS-CoV-2 per day as part of the cooperation with the State Health Agency. The nucleic acids RNA contained in the sample are processed by hand so that the pathogen can be detected in a subsequent PCR test procedure. Thanks to the new device 96 samples per hour can now be processed in a fully automated process twice as many as with the previous manual process. In addition the system offers a constant high quality of the extracted RNA which is crucial for sensitive detection and reduces the risk of cross-contamination and sample mix-ups to an absolute minimum. The 90000 euros that we are investing in this device are more than just well spent.The staff at Danube University Krems are also protected as well as possible as they have no direct contact with the infectious material. The focus can therefore also be placed more on sample logistics and evaluation. The test capacity could be increased to around 1000 samples per day. What is special about this device is that the patients can also be tested for other pathogens such as influenza viruses. It can also be used in the long term for research purposes and to provide additional support for our clinics in complex diagnostic issues says Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner happily.
