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New mass testing system aims to prepare for future pandemics
A consortium of Dutch institutes is developing a new high-volume testing facility in the Netherlands to prepare for future pandemics. “The goal is to process thousands of samples per day at a cost of less than €10 per test, while providing results – either positive or negative – within 24 hours”, says Luca Bordes from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), one of the researchers involved in the development.
Preparing for pandemic
A team of experts from various institutions, including WBVR, TNO and RadboudUMC, works on a new high-volume test system. Their goal is to reduce the workload of PCR testing in hospitals, and to enable proper tracking of disease and the progression of the pandemic.
Smart sampling
A key innovation in this system is the use of self-sampling instead of large scale testing facilities. This encourages testing and helps monitor the progression of the pandemic across a diverse demographic.
“The testing process needs to be as easy as possible for people,” explains Bordes. “Individuals can collect their own samples and send them back by mail or drop them off at collection points.” Once returned, the samples are processed by robots that extract the sample and begin the analysis.
The test workflow uses a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay developed by Scope Biosciences. This assay is a fast diagnostic method that does not rely on reagents, plastics or equipment required for PCR testing which may be scarce during a future pandemic. “This capability makes it ideal for mass testing”, the researcher explains.
Tracking disease variants
Another innovative aspect of the system is the ability to monitor the evolution of disease variants. If a positive result is detected, a sample can be sent for variant analysis. This could prove invaluable in tracking the spread of new variants of a virus, a critical step in managing future pandemics.
Cost and accessibility
The test system is designed to be cost-effective. The initial goal is to keep the cost per test at a maximum of €10, and ideally to reduce it to €5.
“We want to make it affordable, not just for high-income countries, but for global usage,” Bordes says. Balancing costs with quality and speed, the design reflects the need for accessible testing solutions worldwide.
Next to that the system is designed to be scalable. The test facility will use a modular system that can be easily transferred to existing laboratories. “By creating a modular system, we can quickly go from processing 10,000 samples per day to 100,000 or even 400,000 if needed,” explains Bordes. “The system must be ready to deploy anywhere during a pandemic.”
Veterinary diagnostics
“It is not economically viable to run a system at full capacity (400,000 tests per day) until a pandemic hits”, Bordes continues. The developers are therefore also looking at potential use of the system beyond human health. High-volume testing could be useful in managing outbreaks of veterinary pathogens like avian influenza and can offer an economically viable option to keep the system operational. “This combined use also ensures that personnel is well-trained, and the system will be regularly updated and maintained, allowing for rapid implementation of high-volume testing during a future pandemic.”
The project is currently in the development phase and is expected to be operational within the next few years.