SeraCare Life Sciences, Milford, Mass, has released a set of Zika virus products for validating and monitoring Zika virus test methods. The suite of products provides highly characterized Zika IgM materials as well as recombinant virus that can be used as positive reference materials for Zika diagnostic assays.
The AccuSet Zika performance panel is a comprehensive 10-member panel consisting of patient samples manifesting a range of reactivity for Zika IgM antibodies, and assessed for crossreactivity to the dengue and chikungunya viruses. The panel is intended for use by researchers, diagnostic manufacturers, and clinical laboratories to develop, evaluate, and validate Zika serological test methods.
The AccuSpan Zika RNA linearity panel and the AccuPlex Zika RNA reference material are both formulated using the company’s AccuPlex recombinant virus technology, which offers a safe, nonreplicative, noninfectious, and fully extractable positive reference material to support the development and evaluation of molecular diagnostics detecting the Zika virus. The fully packaged RNA virus closely resembles natural Zika virus genetically, containing the entire RNA genome of the ZIKV 2007 strain.
The AccuSpan Zika RNA linearity panel allows for assessment of the dynamic ranges of Zika polymerase chain reaction-based assays. The AccuPlex Zika RNA reference material, targeted to 1,000 copies/mL, serves as a positive reference material. The two products combined provide tools to validate and monitor Zika assays used for screening plasma, semen, and urine.
Russell Garlick, PhD, SeraCare Life Sciences.
“The AccuPlex recombinant technology provides a valuable option to fast-track the development, validation, and implementation of molecular tests against pathogenic DNA or RNA viruses in multiple matrices,” says Russell Garlick, PhD, chief scientific officer of SeraCare.
For more information, visit SeraCare .
