QIAprep&amp Viral RNA UM Kit (100)

An innovative liquid-based approach from QIAGEN combines rapid sample preparation with quantitative real-time PCR detection, optimised for enveloped RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 from human samples, including nasal, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs collected in non-fixation transport media such as UTM, VTM, PBS, 0.9% NaCl, Virocult and eSwab. The kit is also compatible with neat saliva and gargle samples.

The end-to-end workflow is completed in under one hour from start to finish and involves an optional heat-treatment step and only three pipetting steps performed directly in the PCR reaction vessel. Sample preparation is carried out in two minutes within the same tube using an optimised buffer, after which the RT-qPCR reaction mix is added for amplification and detection. A novel two-phase hot-start procedure provides high specificity and sensitivity, and the kit is compatible with dual-labelled probes such as TaqMan probes on most real-time cyclers. Multiplex one-step RT-PCR supports up to 4 assays or targets including the internal controls, with two optional controls included: an inhibition control consisting of a synthetic RNA with a unique artificial sequence detected in the Cy5/Red channel for monitoring instrument or chemistry failures, assay setup errors and inhibitors, and a sampling control targeting the human B2M and RNase P genes in the HEX/Yellow channel to confirm that the primary sample contains human material and that RNA has not been degraded. A passive ROX reference dye is included in the Orange channel. The method can be automated on standard liquid-handling lab equipment.

Throughput can reach up to 2600 samples per real-time PCR cycler in an eight-hour shift (i.e., approximately seven runs of 384 samples each). The kit is intended for epidemiological research use, simplifying and accelerating real-time PCR-based detection of enveloped RNA viruses from human samples.