For RNA virus detection, there’s a critical need for high sensitivity to enable detection of even a small number of genetic copies in a sample. A new webinar presentation from Subrata Panja, associate director of field applications here at Quantabio, walks through the rising public health threats from RNA viruses as well as an environmentally friendly workflow that produces superior detection results.
In the webinar, Subrata gives a quick primer on RNA pathogens, including the ones posing the greatest threat to human or livestock health. He also illustrates why it’s so challenging to identify the source of a viral spillover event, even though this information is important for managing the spread of a pathogen through a community or group of animals. Conventional RNA identification tools such as culture-based assays or immunoassays like ELISAs do not have sensitivity high enough to reliably detect pathogens, and they’re not scalable enough for use in many outbreak situations.
The pressing need for something better inspired us to develop the eQo 1-Step ToughMix. This product features a thermostable and inhibitor-tolerant reverse transcriptase combined with an optimized buffer system that enables the detection of RNA pathogens from both pure and crude RNA samples, with detection limits as low as two target copies.
As part of our eQo product line, eQo 1-Step ToughMix is manufactured in bead form through lyophilization to improve stability and product integrity while eliminating the need for shipping on dry ice. This lowers CO2 emissions associated with dry ice and with the heavier, larger packages required for non-lyophilized products. Once reconstituted into liquid form in a lab, the product can be used at ambient temperatures.
The product also incorporates our qScript Ultra Reverse Transcriptase, which offers superior performance due to its thermostability, high processivity, reduced RNase H activity, and overall robustness. As a result, eQo 1-Step ToughMix delivers excellent sensitivity — ideal for detecting targets present in low copy numbers — as well as strong resistance to inhibitors. It can also multiplex up to five targets.
In internal experiments looking at SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, H5N1, and norovirus, the eQo 1-Step ToughMix performed extremely well, as Subrata demonstrates in the webinar. Even when only two viral copies were present, the product delivered strong amplification and accurate results. In a comparison to liquid master mixes, the eQo 1-Step ToughMix yielded superior results as measured by standard curve and amplification curve.
Overall, this product offers a more sustainable and higher-performing alternative for RNA pathogen detection.
Interested in more webinar presentations? Here’s a list of what we offer.