Buffer removal with INTEGRA's portable aspiration system improves safety and ease of COVID-19 ELISA testing

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of a number of novel RT-PCR based tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients. As the situation has progressed, there is now a need for serology tests to evaluate the immune response of patients, as well as to assess immunity in the general population. These immunoassays are critical to allow movement restrictions to be eased and prevent a second peak in infections.

SARS-CoV-2 ELISA tests

Most serological tests are based on sandwich ELISA techniques to detect antibodies against the virus in patients that have recovered from COVID-19. The protocols for these ELISAs require several aspiration steps to remove buffers after incubation and washing, and the safest way to perform this is using an instrument such as INTEGRA's VACUSIP portable aspiration system.

Why use an aspiration system?

There are many advantages to using an aspiration system to remove buffers from samples, especially for 96 well plate formats, where there are multiple wells to process. These include:

Safer, faster and more convenient waste removal than with a multichannel pipette
Aspirated liquid waste goes directly into the collection bottle, avoiding the risk of spillages or exposure to biohazardous waste during unnecessary liquid transfer
Pooled waste can be safely and easily autoclaved, chemically deactivated, or transferred to a larger container

Highlights include:

• Simple to operate – consistent and reliable processing of even small liquid volumes via pressure-controlled hand operation
• Ready to use – an out-of-the-box solution with integrated silent vacuum pump and optional rechargeable battery
• Compact design – with a small footprint and minimal cables/tubing, ensuring it fits onto any bench or into any safety cabinet
• Safe to use – with a hydrophobic filter to protect against contamination, and a fully autoclavable liquid path for easy decontamination
• A choice of waste containers – including single-use PP and reusable glass bottles
• Adaptable to your needs – with a large choice of adapters, including 8 channel adapters for 96 well plates

Why choose the VACUSIP?

The VACUSIP is a convenient and affordable tool for liquid waste removal, helping to increase productivity for ELISA workflows. Its flexibility, ease of use and portability mean that it can be used in a variety of other biochemical and cell-based methods, from high throughput screening and immunofluorescence studies to cell viability and virus entry inhibition assays. Ultimately, the VACUSIP portable aspiration system can be used by anyone, anywhere, speeding up workflows and supporting a range of applications in the fight against COVID-19.

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