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Quadrant Biosciences Developing Saliva Swab for COVID 19

We’re excited to share that our company has been working on a new, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19.

Once again, we’ve partnered with researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University to develop this saliva-based RNA assay.

As you know, we have developed the world’s first epigenetic saliva test for autism called Clarifi™ ASD. When the COVID-19 pandemic started to take hold in the U.S., Dr Frank Middleton, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (among other appointments) at SUNY Upstate Medical, realized that some of the experience and knowledge gained from the development of Clarifi ASD, could be used to help develop a saliva test to diagnose the COVID-19 virus.

And just like Clarifi ASD, which looks at RNA in the saliva, this saliva swab for coronavirus will be using similar technology. Our director of the clinical research lab, Rhianna Ericson, gave a little more detail into the process in a new video.

“[The] technology is similar to our Clarifi ASD saliva test. But unlike Clarifi ASD which relies on a variation of particles, called RNA, in the saliva, that we use to detect autism, we’re looking for the presence of the COVID-19 RNA strand, which is already identified,” Ericson explained.

The goal? To help expedite lab processing time and hopefully create an easy to administer saliva test to be deployed in the field.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated in the coming weeks! The best way to make sure you get the news quickest is by following us on social media, so if you haven’t yet, check out our FacebookTwitterLinkedIn, or Instagram pages.

In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe and practices healthy habits. If you have any questions about the exciting diagnostic pipeline our team is working on, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Quadrant Biosciences