Healthcare company Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) reported on Wednesday the receipt of USD683,500 to support the development of its xMAP SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen IgG Assay from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Upon completion of the project, the company intends to submit this enhanced serology assay for an US FDA's Emergency Use Authorization. As people return to work, students head back to school and vaccines become available, the communities will need to understand the extent to which past infections provide protection against future SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The company's xMAP SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen IgG Assay detects antibodies to three different viral antigens the spike protein, nucleocapsid, and receptor-binding domain--to assess if a person has been infected with SARS-CoV-2. All three of these antigens will be integrated to provide a more comprehensive view of a person's immune status.

Currently, the company's xMAP SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen IgG Assay delivers high-quality results for up to 96 patient samples in less than four hours. The assay has demonstrated specificity of 100% in human serum and greater than 99% in human plasma, with sensitivity greater than 96% for both human serum and plasma in clinical studies. The assay can be run on any xMAP-based high-throughput platforms.