National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has always contributed to society. This time its scientists from Attaur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB) have served the nation against the current most challenging problem of the novel virus Corona by developing Covid-19 testing kits.
The world is going through the Corona outbreak which is one of the biggest pandemics of all time. To prevent the spread, countries have been stressing on the early diagnosis of the virus in victims. However, at the rate, the country would require a plethora of resources. So, the NUST team has not only developed Covid-19 testing kits but has reduced the cost of the kits one-fourth times to the price of the imported ones.
The scientists at NUST have managed to successfully establish Molecular Diagnostic Assays. It is used for the diagnosis of newly discovered coronavirus (COVID-19). NUST has developed the Covid-19 testing kits in collaboration with Wuhan Institute of Virology China, Columbia University USA, DZIF Germany, and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Rawalpindi.
Since the kits had not as yet been developed in the country. So the government had to import them at whatever cost they would get. But observing the worldwide economic mayhem induced by Corona, the cost of the diagnostic kits needed to be reduced as much as possible. So, with the development of the Covid-19 kits within the country, the funds could be better utilized.
NUST informs that the development of these assays has been made at a time when the whole world is severely affected by an unprecedented pandemic coronavirus. And scientists and researchers are constantly striving to find remedies to this lethal disease.
As per NUST’s say, these Molecular Diagnostic Assays include both conventional and real-time PCR-based methods of Sybr Green and Taqman.
Covid-19 Testing Kits Declared Efficient
In the process of developing the Covid-19 testing kits, these had been effectively tested on the patient samples and laboratory controls. These assays indigenously established by NUST to diagnose Coronavirus in a victim are efficient and sensitive to the target. NUST will soon make them available in the market at a said price which is quarter times less than the price of imported ones.
Meanwhile, WHO has declared that Pakistan has the world’s best National Response Program against COVID-19. It is most certainly an achievement of the state in controlling the spread of the disease.
The team that assisted in establishing the Covid-19 diagnostic kit comprises of Associate Assistant Professor Dr. Ali Zohaib and Professor Dr. Aneela Javed from NUST ASAB. They had been working on the development of these assays for the diagnosis of the Coronavirus to resist the spread of the disease in the country.
In times like these, the government needs all the help it can get. So, it is an appreciable contribution from NUST’s part to develop such a reliable resource.
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