A machine that holds more than 5,000 samples on a plate no wider than a couple of postage stamps is among the innovations that could vastly enhance molecular diagnostic testing capacity at Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, advancements that would make tests more affordable and future pandemic-driven surges easier to handle.
The “SmartChip” quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing technology, in combination with a separate 384-sample system that can run 24 hours a day with limited staffing thanks to automated handling features, would give the VDL a…
