Zymo Research announced their COVID-19 Variant Sequencing Service. This new global service expands Zymo Research's end-to-end SARS-CoV-2 solutions that include sample collection, RNA extraction, and SARS-CoV-2 detection. Detecting mutations quickly helps prevent the spread of new viral strain types and can provide an early warning of potential vaccine escape.

Zymo Research, an Illumina-certified sequencing service provider, uses the Illumina COVIDSeq? NGS workflow. The end-to-end service includes the necessary collection devices and automated extraction technology, with RNA sequencing completed on Illumina platforms. Zymo Research's DNA/RNA Shield? is used for the collection, transportation, and preservation of the samples. The preservative inactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus while stabilizing its RNA, allowing safe room temperature transport for robust library prep and sequencing.

"Zymo Research continues to play a significant role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Keith Booher, Leader of Zymo Research Services. "As the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates, we are committed to developing products and services in our COVID-19 testing portfolio to assist local and federal government laboratories and health organizations in identifying new coronavirus variants of concern, including those recently emerging from the UK (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), and Brazil (P.1)."

The COVID-19 Variant Sequencing Service workflow consists of sample collection, processing, sequencing, and reporting. COVID-positive samples are collected from test centers and transported to Zymo Research and its affiliates for processing. Automated RNA extraction from the collected samples is performed using the KingFisher? Flex robotics platform. Sequencing is carried out using the Illumina sequencing-by-synthesis technology and then analyzed using the hardware-accelerated DRAGEN? COVIDSeq? Analysis Pipeline. The final report includes COVID-19 strain identification, genome sequencing coverage, confirmed mutations, consensus genome, and raw sequence files.