Partnership Spotlight: INDICAL Bioscience

The Partnership

Back in May 2019, Biomeme and INDICAL Bioscience entered into an exclusive global licensing and research agreement in a joint effort to improve animal health globally. At the time, our mobile PCR detection technology-enabled INDICAL to introduce a highly sensitive, yet easy-to-use solution to their customers which span veterinarians, clinics, government agencies, and the food safety industry. The point-of-need testing solution was built to solve time-sensitive, location-sensitive problems without an actual lab, such as what we are seeing is critical with controlling African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). 

ASFV is a contagious viral hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs and wild boars. It’s a very serious biosecurity risk with no vaccine currently available. The virus is highly stable and easily spreads, making it a significant threat to national economies. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommends PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR) as the standard methods for detection of ASFV DNA.

Recently, an article titled, “Swift and Reliable ‘Easy Lab’ Methods for the Sensitive Molecular Detection of African Swine Fever Virus” was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The study aimed to validate an “easy lab” workflow and includes different sample types (EDTA blood, serum, oral swabs, chewing ropes, and tissue samples) and different published and commercial kits for qPCR detection of ASFV, including INDICAL’s.

The results were great! You can see the key takeaways below and/or read the entire publication here.

Recent Publication Highlights

• The validation study determined that overall, the IndiField ASFV PCR assay in the form of shelf-stable Biomeme Go-Strips™ used on the Biomeme Franklin™ (IndiField) thermocycler showed the lowest Ct values and highest sensitivity.
• The mean Ct value for the EDTA blood samples was 3.7 cycles earlier with the IndiField PCR. 
• There were also 10 samples with a very low viral load that tested negative on all of the methods performed on the Bio-Rad CFX96 cycler, but were still detected by the Biomeme/IndiField PCR kit.

Without a vaccine or treatment, rapid and accurate detection is important for managing a successful ASFV response. This validation study confirms that an “easy lab” workflow that uses our gold standard point-of-care PCR products can be used with no relevant loss of sensitivity or specificity. The state-of-the-art system and easy-to-handle software, combined with improved storage and stability using lyophilized PCR kits, are not only “fit for purpose” but also reduce training efforts and the misinterpretation of results. This creates a high-sensitivity high-specificity option comparable to standard PCR methods, especially useful for labs with limited experiences and resources. 

Read the full publication here.

Check out INDICAL’s website and contact them to learn more about their Indi Series products.