The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of a number of novel RT-PCR based tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients. As the situation has progressed, there is now a need for serology tests to evaluate the immune response of patients, as well as to assess immunity in the general population. These immunoassays are critical to allow movement restrictions to be eased and prevent a second peak in infections.
Most serological tests are based on sandwich ELISA techniques to detect antibodies against the virus in patients that have recovered from COVID-19. The protocols for these ELISAs require several aspiration steps to remove buffers after incubation and washing, and the safest way to perform this is using an instrument such as INTEGRA Biosciences’ VACUSIP portable aspiration system.
There are many advantages to using an aspiration system to remove buffers from samples, especially for 96 well plate formats, where there are multiple wells to process. These instruments enable safer, faster and more convenient waste removal than with a multichannel pipette, and the aspirated waste goes directly into the collection bottle, avoiding the risk of spillages or exposure to biohazardous waste – an important factor when handling infectious samples.
The compact design of the VACUSIP system means it can fit on any bench or into any safety cabinet, offering the flexibility to be used wherever needed. With a hydrophobic filter to protect against contamination, and a fully autoclavable liquid path for easy decontamination, the VACUSIP is the ideal aspiration system for laboratories working with SARS-CoV-2 samples.
