Atelerix secures government funding to develop COVID-19 sample preservation technology
The company has received a cash grant from the UK government to adapt its cell preservation gel for coronavirus testing samples.
Atelerix develops a gel-based system designed for storing and transporting cells and tissues at room temperature without freezing.
Atelerix has secured government funding to adapt its gel-based preservation technology for COVID-19 testing samples. Led by CEO Mick McLean, the company is undertaking a two-stage project to evaluate whether its room-temperature storage medium can maintain the integrity of virus samples for up to two weeks.
The initiative addresses a critical bottleneck in national testing programmes, where sample degradation has previously resulted in invalid results and strict processing deadlines. Successful completion of the project could significantly expand laboratory capacity and flexibility ahead of potential seasonal surges in infection rates.
From the founder
"In June, 30,000 COVID-19 tests in the UK were recorded as invalid. One reason behind this higher than expected figure was that scientists were unable to preserve the integrity of swab samples for longer than 72 hours, leading to the government committing to having swab test results completed within 24 hours. However, when testing tens of thousands of swab tests, backlogs are inevitably going to occur, meaning swab tests need to be stored so that they can be tested later. What our solution provides is an ability to store samples for up to two weeks meaning test samples do not become redundant after 72 hours, thereby providing scientists more time to handle large volumes of swab tests."
Mick McLean
CEO at Atelerix
Use of funds
- 01Fund research and development