Benzinga | Sep 9, 2021 10:01AM EDT

Meridian Launches Two New Air-Dryable qPCR Mixes Enabling Direct Detection of DNA Or RNA From Stool Samples

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., a leading global provider of diagnostic testing solutions and life science raw materials, announced today the addition of two new Air-Dryable(tm) Master Mixes with the launch of its Air-Dryable(tm) Direct DNA qPCR Stool and Air-Dryable(tm) Direct RNA/DNA qPCR Stool Mixes. These innovative master mixes are designed to develop room-temperature stable molecular diagnostic assays that directly target nucleic acid sequences from crude stool material.



Many gastrointestinal diagnostic tests use stool samples, including inflammatory bowel disease, gastric or colon cancer, and screening for harmful bacteria, fungi, or viruses. In recent years, molecular diagnostic assays have gained in popularity due to their increased speed and sensitivity; however, using stool samples can be highly complex, as stool includes many inhibitors (e.g., bile salts, polysaccharides, and catabolic substances) that can dramatically reduce assay sensitivity and efficiency. Consequently, expensive and time-consuming extraction steps are often needed.

Meridian's new Air-Dryable(tm) Direct DNA qPCR Stool and Air-Dryable(tm) Direct RNA/DNA qPCR Stool Mixes remove the need for time-consuming RNA or DNA purification or complex component optimization. They produce faster and more sensitive assays directly from crudely processed stool material. Setting up the assay can be as simple as adding primers and probes. The assay can then be used in a liquid format or dried down in a convection oven to create ambient-temperature stable assays without the need for lyophilization.

Florent Chang-Pi-Hin, Ph.D., Vice President Research & Development - Life Science, commented, "The use of Air-Dryable(tm) Direct qPCR Stool mixes for both DNA and RNA in the development of point-of-care assays offers easy sample analysis and reduces turnaround time. This increased efficiency can be essential in many applications, for example, bacterial food poisoning, where early detection and treatment can be lifesaving. Air-dryable technology also has the benefit of allowing oven-drying on site, saving manufacturers' time and cost. It also allows manufacturers to control their entire manufacturing workflow."

Meridian is committed to supplying innovative solutions to the diagnostic industry to simplify and accelerate the development of superior diagnostic assays. For more information on leveraging Air-Dryable(tm) technology for your assay development, please visit https://meridianlifescience.com/air-dryable-mixes or email Liyan.Pang@meridianlifescience.com.