Ocimum Biosolutions, a genomics services company, has launched a new microarray-based test, for research use only, for the latest version of the H1N1 flu.
The company has reported that it updated its custom chip probes using sequence information from the latest strain of the swine flu from the National Center for Biotechnology Information site. Most of these sequences have been submitted worldwide in the past 96 hours.
The microarray was developed on Ocimum’s custom OciChip array platform three years ago when the first cases of the avian flu outbreak occurred. This test will be available for use after the validation is completed. Ocimum said that it can also provide an RT-PCR based molecular diagnostic assay for use in India and Asia.
The Centers for Disease Control and FDA have authorized the emergency use of an reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based molecular diagnostic assay to identify cases of swine flu in the current outbreak in the US.
Anu Acharya, CEO of Ocimum Biosolutions, said: The RT-PCR assay and the microarray will quickly identify the H1N1 virus in patients diagnosed with influenza A as some older tests may not pick up this new strain. We are ready to work with various public health labs in the India and the region that need help in setting up these assays, or running the samples in our labs.