Rapid lentivirus smartphone test
Lentiviral vectors have proven to be powerful tools for stable gene transfer to both dividing and non-dividing cells in vitro and in vivo. Until now, tests for measuring lentivirus titer were complicated and convoluted—it could take several hours to days, depending on the method used, to deliver only a single quantitative result.
Takara Bio USA, Inc. (TBUSA; formerly Clontech Laboratories, Inc.) teamed up with smartphone diagnostics specialists, Novarum™ DX, to develop an integrated, mobile platform which detects and quantifies recombinant lentivirus in packaging cell supernatants.
“Takara Bio is committed to doing good science that supports biotechnology research around the world. Working with Novarum, our pioneering Lenti-X GoStix Plus app has been successfully launched on both GooglePlay and the AppStore, for Android and Apple devices, respectively. We’re proud of the positive feedback and the app store ratings we’ve already received.” Associate Director, Gene Function Marketing
Quantitative lentivirus titers in minutes
Lentiviral vectors have proven to be powerful tools for stable gene transfer to both dividing and non-dividing cells in vitro and in vivo. Until now, tests for measuring lentivirus titer were complicated and convoluted—it could take several hours to days, depending on the method used, to deliver only a single quantitative result.
Applying Novarum’s patented image-capture technology now enables Takara Bio’s rapid tests to provide accurate, quantitative lentivirus titers in only ten minutes with virtually no effort.
Lenti-X GoStix Plus app
The Lenti-X GoStix Plus app provides intuitive step-by-step instructions, including alarm and timer features, to ensure tests are performed correctly. Up to four tests can be run simultaneously, using a single ten-minute timer, and the results are scanned sequentially. QR codes, labelled on the GoStix foil pouches, can also be scanned to identify lot numbers for facilitating batch calibration and quantification.