The authority recently announced a new policy, requiring all local councils to increase testing capacity. In response, MGI and Guiyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention jointly built a “local + mobile” one-stop nucleic acid testing platform in Guiyang. This platform is capable of processing 13,000 single tubes a day, and it can test up to 130,000 samples per day at maximum if 10 samples are integrated in one tube for batch testing. The container lab can be flexibly installed in outbreak areas to meet large-scale testing demands and scale up the testing capacity to support the control and prevention of COVID-19 in Guiyang.

This “Local + mobile” one-stop nucleic acid testing platform consists of Guiyang Novel Coronavirus nucleic acid testing base (local lab) and MGI container lab (mobile lab). After sample preparation, the test results are available in 4 hours.

Guiyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Guiyang City Testing Base - MGI Three Platforms Providing Powerful Technology support

The local lab can process 10,000 samples per day, and 100,000 samples per day if 10 samples are integrated in one tube for batch testing. And the whole process only requires 4 to 5 people to operate, from reagent preparation, nucleic acid extraction, amplification analysis to test result report.

Thanks to the integrated package of MGISTP-7000 high-throughput automated sample transfer processing system combined with MGISP-960 automated nucleic acid extraction equipment and MGI MGISP-NE384 is a high-throughput automated nucleic acid extractor, making it possible to test 100,000 samples a day.

 MGISTP-7000 can automatically complete barcode scan, information check and automated liquid transfer with a single-click. In the whole process, the lab technicians have zero contact with novel coronavirus samples to ensure a safer working environment for lab operators, which helps to decrease tedious sample pre-analytical steps and reduce the workload of lab technicians. In the nation-wide combat against COVID-19, MGISP-960 automated sample preparation systems have supported the outbreaks in more than 30 cities and regions in China including Hubei, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Shenzhen. In addition, MGISP-960 can process 192 samples in 80 minutes, and one person can operate three MGISP-960 at the same time.

MGISTP-7000 and MGISP-960

MGISP-NE384 is a high-throughput automated nucleic acid extractor adopting magnetic rod technology. Together with nucleic acid extraction kit, MGISP-NE384 is able to extract and purify nucleic acid from samples. HEPA filtration system and UV lamp, ensure a safe working environment for nucleic acid extraction and lab technicians. As the first fully automatic automated nucleic acid extractor in the market being utilized on the front line of COVID-19 fight, one MGISP-NE384 can process 10,000 samples per day.

MGISP-NE384, a high-throughput automated nucleic acid extractor

Three powerful equipment work together with MGI ZLIMS system for sample management. It can provide automatic management of the whole process from barcode identification, sample dispatch, nucleic acid extraction, and fluorescence quantitative PCR testing to report distribution. It will greatly relieve the pressure of space, time and personnel in the testing laboratories.

MGI container lab contributes to public health crisis prevention and control

MGI delivered a container lab to Guiyang CDC, contributing to the prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreak.

MGI Container Lab

“High throughput and mobilility” are two advantages of the container lab. It is capable of processing 3000 samples in 24 hours, or 30,000 samples a day at maximum if integrating 10 samples in a batch. The container lab is equipped with a one-stop platform composed of MGISTP-7000 high-throughput automated sample transfer processing system combined with MGISP-960 automated nucleic acid extraction equipment and MGI ZLIMS information management platform.

This lab is converted from a container module and can be easily transported via suitable vehicle. It can be quickly deployed to major stations, ports, community, and other locations as needed in case of emergency with significant testing capacity. These features greatly reduce the time needed for sample transportation and eliminates the need of the patients to travel to testing facilities facilitating better control of the pandemic. Up to now, MGI has supplied container labs to Xiamen, Haikou, Inner Mongolia, Langfang, and Fuyang in China, and Sweden internationally.