With countries beginning to ease restrictions and businesses beginning to reopen, contact tracing and epidemiological studies will be critical, according to the company. Next generation sequencing (NGS) provides scientists with a rapid high-throughput method to analyze the SARS-CoV-2 genome and trace its origin. Thermo Fisher's automated NGS system can provide results within 24 hours.

The Ion AmpliSeq SARS-CoV-2 research panel was previously designed to run on the Ion GeneStudio S5 system. Now, the company has adapted the panel for use on Genexus, which it released in November 2019. This system provides a turnkey and simple workflow, delivering a variant report in a single day with minimal hands-on time.

Thermo Fisher, Hamilton debut DNA test system
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Hamilton have launched an automated DNA sample preparation system that extracts nucleic acids from forensic samples.