PCR Biosystems has launched a range of IsoFast Bst Polymerase reagents for accelerated DNA and RNA amplification, according to a press release from the company based in the United Kingdom.
The Bst Polymerase reagents have been validated for qualitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. Combined with the reagents’ suitability for use in the field, this validation opens the potential for rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing in environments, such as airports, hospitals or nursing homes, without the need for a central laboratory, delivering results in 30 minutes.
Through its nucleic acid strand displacement capabilities, Bst polymerase eliminates the need for the high temperature denaturation step associated with traditional Taq enzymes. This enables faster time to result and facilitates DNA and RNA amplification in the field without specialized thermocycling equipment.
The new range of IsoFast Bst reagents from PCR Biosystems can be used for a variety of techniques including whole genome amplification, multiple displacement amplification and isothermal amplification.