TATA SONS WITH SREE CHITRA TIRUNAL INSTITUTE FOR PRODUCTION OF COVID-19 TEST KITS

TATA SONS WITH SREE CHITRA TIRUNAL INSTITUTE FOR PRODUCTION OF COVID-19 TEST KITS 

• The Tata Sons has entered into an agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology for production of COVID-19 testing kits. The SCTIMST is an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Sciences and Technology, Government of India.
• The kits will be based on RT-LAMP (Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated Amplification) technology which can produce results in significantly less time
• Similar to RT-PCR, RT-LAMP uses reverse transcriptase to synthesize complementary DNA (cDNA) from RNA sequences.
• RT-LAMP is used in the detection of viruses. This method can be very effective in detecting viruses with an RNA genome (Group II, IV, and V based on the Baltimore Virus Classification system).
•  It is specifically advantageous because it can all be done quickly in one step.
• No need for expensive thermocycling equipment that is necessary for other methods like PCR, which makes RT-LAMP very cost effective.
• In contrast with conventional PCR and real-time PCR assays, this method is much more efficient while still obtaining a high level of precision.
• For each LAMP assay, primers must be specifically designed to be compatible with the target DNA.