Research & Development
MatMaCorp's COVID-19 2SF RNA test effective in detecting variants, with expected launch later in 2021
1 March 2021 -

Molecular diagnostic company MatMaCorp (Materials and Machines Corporation) disclosed on Friday that its COVID-19 2SF RNA test is capable of detecting >99.5% of 3,801 coronavirus variants reported worldwide to date based on preliminary evaluation.

The company added that the data demonstrated the effectiveness of its COVID-19 2SF RNA test in detecting variants associated with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. The 2SF RNA test can detect 99.7% of isolates for B.1.1.7 (UK variant), 99.8% of isolates for B.1.1.28 (Brazil variant), 100% of isolates for B.1.351 (South Africa variant), and 100% of isolates for B.1.525 (emerging global variant).

This COVID-19 2SF RNA test, performed on the company's Solas 8 portable detection system, was granted an EUA by the US FDA.

As of 17 February, all of the available information in global public databases show that the variations such as B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 do not show changes in the RdRp gene.

To identify the virus, the company said its COVID-19 test employs 'padlock probes', small bits of DNA targeted with high specificity toward the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene, an essential gene for viral replication. The RdRp gene has not accumulated significant changes in any of the COVID-19 strains so far.

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