Knowledge Foundation
Bay Area molecular diagnostics shop Wave 80 Biosciences is gearing up to evaluate its first product — a semi-quantitative HIV viral load assay that runs on the company's cartridge-based, near-patient, sample-to-answer testing system — in full-scale clinical trials by the end of t
The platform will combine immiscible phase filtration sample prep with automated amplification and detection, and is expected to have initial applications in point-of-care HIV testing in remote and resource-poor areas of the world. The company also sees the platform being used for decentralized molecular testing in more developed countries.
At last week's Sample Prep 2010 meeting in Baltimore, Md., microfluidics, integration, and automation were oft-cited as future market drivers in the area of sample prep for virus, toxin, and pathogen detection.