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Omega Bio-tek Mag-Bind Viral RNA Xpress Kit for COVID-19 Testing

Omega Bio-tek launched the Mag-Bind Viral RNA Xpress Kit for COVID-19 testing. The new magnetic bead-based extraction kit is designed to isolate viral RNA from nasopharyngeal swabs that are dry or in viral transport media. The kits are adaptable to most liquid testing platforms, including the Hamilton Microlab STAR, Microlab MagEx STARlet, and NIMBUS; the Thermo Fisher Scientific KingFisher and Applied Biosystems MagMax 96; Qiagen BioSprint; and Tecan DreamPrep NAP. Omega Bio-tek said the kit enables researchers to reduce their number of reagents and protocol steps while allowing efficient recovery of viral nucleic acids with minimal inhibitor carryover.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.