Nanyang technological college, singapore (ntu singapore) and pathnova laboratories, a medical diagnostic organisation backed by using temasek existence sciences accelerator and established in temasek existence sciences laboratory, is contributing to singapore’s covid-19 diagnostic capability through its partnership in a brand new medical diagnostic laboratory.
Amid the ongoing worldwide covid-19 scenario, the lab plans to faucet advanced technology like synthetic intelligence (ai) and statistics analytics to innovate, boosting the united states’s destiny pandemic reaction.
Located at ntu singapore’s lee kong chian college of drugs (lkcmedicine) novena campus, the ntu clinical diagnostic laboratory become set up in april 2020 with the aid of a group of instructional researchers, in aid of the countrywide attempt to boom diagnostic testing potential and started covid-19 polymerase chain response (pcr) testing on 1 july 2020.
The partnership among ntu and pathnova commenced on 1 march 2021, with pathnova going for walks the operations and ntu continuing to help and host the lab. Since then, the lab now known as pathnova laboratories @ lkcmedicine, has scaled up its operations and been engaged by the singapore ministry of fitness in checking out swabs from over one hundred twenty,000 individuals, along with habitual rostered checking out for citizens of overseas employee dormitories.
With a testing ability of two,000 checks in keeping with day, the lab has been getting ready for huge-scale trying out and faster turnaround instances with automation and increasing the sorts of sars-cov-2 assays to be had.
Given its consciousness on serology, pathnova has also prolonged its capabilities into covid-19 serology trying out at the diagnostic lab. Such tests are intended for detecting past infections or assessing an man or woman’s antibody reaction publish vaccination.
Getting ready for destiny pandemics
As the lab necessarily transitions out of covid-19, the vision is to apply the lessons learnt from pandemic testing to reimagine a brand new style of lab that is bendy and scalable thru open-supply robotics and software automation.
Such a lab can be scalable but adaptable, for example in using clever digital strategies to make certain best and productiveness of day by day checking out, even as allowing scientific experts to make improvements and upgrades on lab workflows.
Mr peter chia, leader govt officer, temasek lifestyles sciences accelerator, said, “we’re thrilled to work with a global-famend health institution like lkcmedicine. It is our perception that such collaborative partnerships stem from fine science and passionate human beings operating collectively, capitalising on the momentum from the worldwide medical community’s reaction to this crisis, to carry innovative solutions for public suitable.
I would like to congratulate lkcmedicine and pathnova for this partnership. We stay up for seeing greater revolutionary answers from them to advantage communities in singapore and the location.”
Ntu senior vice chairman (studies) professor lam khin yong, stated: “ntu’s collaboration with pathnova laboratories will allow our scientists to leverage their understanding in synthetic intelligence technologies to tackle destiny pandemic challenges. We stay up for how this synergy between academia and enterprise will result in meaningful consequences that make a contribution to the extra national attempt in safeguarding populace fitness.”
Exploring elevated detection and diagnosis of sars-cov-2
Supported by means of professionals within the fields of genomics, laptop science and bioengineering, the pathnova laboratories @ lkcmedicine lab will explore methods to simplify and shorten complicated protocols. Developing a new form of molecular laboratory, it’ll run on open-source hardware and software, be fully integrated, reconfigurable, and proof against supply chain bottlenecks.
For example, the lab will take a look at the usage of advanced technology to boost up innovation thru records analytics and ai automation, activating robotics and mathematical algorithms to elevate efficiency and decrease operational charges.
Ntu senior vice president (health and life sciences) and dean ntu lee kong chian faculty of medication (lkcmedicine), prominent university professor joseph sung said, “as we have visible and skilled with coronavirus, viruses mutate and illnesses evolve however happily, generation additionally evolves – regularly in our favour. By leveraging era in molecular virology and partnering with the industry, we will work collectively in the direction of strengthening singapore’s destiny pandemic preparedness.”
Being the best diagnostic provider lab set up by means of an institute of higher gaining knowledge of as a fast response to the country wide exigency, the lab brings together wonderful experts inside the discipline.
It is co-led by way of partner professor eric yap from lkcmedicine, who’s the clinical director of the new lab, and dr ian cheong, chief clinical officer, and co-founder of pathnova laboratories.
Ntu and pathnova proportion a similar spirit. We build things leanly and from first standards, with a view to scalable and steady performance whilst used within the actual global. Our partnership turned into catalysed in the crucible of covid-19. We are satisfied for the significant opportunity to contribute to singapore’s safe reopening collectively.”
Dr ian cheong, leader clinical officer and co-founder, pathnova laboratories
Assoc prof yap, who labored as a clinical physician and defence scientist, research the patterns and results of genetic variant in human, bacterial and viral genomes, exploiting those variations for more correct and fast disorder diagnosis.
In april 2020, assoc prof yap and his team of researchers devised a way to speed up the covid-19 pcr test, yielding outcomes in just 36 minutes with limited device and talents. Their direct pcr check is used to search for covid-19 genetic sequences in crude samples without the need for prolonged and guide rna purification steps, that are needed in present day pcr checks.
Dr ian cheong, who’s skilled as both a attorney and scientist, has a background in experimental therapeutics and diagnostics for most cancers. In 2017, with help from temasek life sciences accelerator (tla), he co-founded pathnova laboratories with emeritus professor chan soh ha and mr. Jason foo to expand scalable detection of nasopharyngeal cancer and autoimmune diseases through serological detection, extended with device mastering.