Benzinga | Dec 7, 2021 07:08AM EST

Ginkgo Bioworks Says Has Collected, Identified And Sequenced Pooled Sample Containing Omicron Variant From South Africa And UK-Originated Passengers

BOSTON, Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE:DNA) today confirmed that it has collected, identified, and sequenced a pooled sample containing the Omicron variant from passengers on flights originating from South Africa and the United Kingdom and arriving at Newark International Airport on the 30th of November and the 1st of December. These samples were collected in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and XpresSpa Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:XSPA) in the course of servicing their joint air travel COVID-19 monitoring program. The program is implemented through Ginkgo's public health and biosecurity initiative, Concentric by Ginkgo and XpresSpa Group's XpresCheck(tm) subsidiary.