Asuragen Develops Armored RNA Quant® SARS-CoV-2 Control

Asuragen, Inc. (Austin, TX, USA) has developed an Armored RNA Quant® SARS-CoV-2 Control for use in developing assays in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Asuragen’s proprietary Armored RNA Quant technology has been included in FDA-approved assays for over 20 years and is the gold standard for reliable, traceable standards for use with molecular assays developed for virus quantitation.

The Armored RNA Quant SARS-CoV-2 Control targets the SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleocapsid (N) region and, along with the company’s new RNAse P construct, aligns with the CDC and WHO-recommended Diagnostic Panel (CDC-006-00019) to provide a safe, stable, and reliable way to test for the novel coronavirus. Armored technology encapsulates the in vitro transcribed RNA in a protective protein coat to resist nuclease degradation, enabling its use as RNA extraction, process quality, and positive diagnostic reference controls.

“As the global healthcare community works to contain the spread of this disease, expediting the development of rapid and accurate testing is of paramount importance for laboratories everywhere,” said Matthew McManus, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Asuragen. “With our new SARS-CoV-2 Control, we are committed to supporting these efforts as we collectively work to identify – and ultimately care for – those affected with COVID-19.”