LexaGene Holdings Inc (TSX-V:LXG, OTCQB:LXXGF) has announced advancements to its sample preparation cartridge that improves its MiQLab System's ability to process complex samples for the veterinary market.
The company’s MiQLab System is designed to process liquid samples from companion animals used in the diagnosis of infections such as urinary tract infections (UTI's) and skin infections.
Dr Jack Regan, LexaGene's CEO and founder, explained that some sample types, for example nasal swabs, are easily processed for PCR testing, whereas others contain inhibitors, such as blood, that interfere with PCR.
“To better handle more complex samples, we have recently embedded a new chemistry into our sample preparation cartridge that greatly improves the MiQLab System's ability to process samples that contain a significant percentage of blood, which is a powerful inhibitor of PCR,” Regan said in a statement.
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“We are excited about this advancement and believe the new sample preparation cartridge broadens our testing capabilities for companion animals," he added.
The MiQLab System, equipped with a MiQLab Bacterial and AMR panel, screens samples for 10 common pathogens and 33 markers for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) testing. These AMR tests target genes that confer resistance to four classes of first-line therapeutics, namely tetracyclines, beta lactams, sulfa-TMP, and lincosamides.
Beverly, Massachusetts-based LexaGene is a molecular diagnostics company that develops molecular diagnostic systems for pathogen detection and genetic testing for other molecular markers for on-site rapid testing in veterinary diagnostics, food safety and for use in open-access markets such as clinical research, agricultural testing, and biodefense.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com