Lucence, A*STAR Share Study Data Showing SAFER™ Sample Saliva Collection Kit for COVID-19 Inactivates Collected Virus
16.6.2020 13:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Molecular diagnostics company Lucence and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) today announced study results indicating that the reagent used in Lucence’s SAFER Sample saliva collection kit inactivates SARS-CoV-2 within 45 seconds of sample collection. This proprietary reagent also stabilizes viral RNA at room temperature for up to one week. Together, these properties enable accessible, non-invasive, and safe sample collection via saliva, which is critical to scaling cost-effective testing worldwide. The reagent used in Lucence’s SAFER Sample kit was invented at A*STAR’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200616005320/en/
The SAFER Sample Specimen Collection Kit (Photo: Business Wire)
The SAFER Sample Collection Kit is registered as a Class A medical device with the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore and is an easy-to-use saliva collection kit that comes with a bottle of stabilization fluid to be mixed with the sample at the point of collection, keeping viral RNA stable at room temperature for up to one week. While conventional viral transport media requires cold-chain transport to prevent sample degradation, which can drive up associated costs and limit testing geography, SAFER Sample’s proprietary media means samples can be transported to a lab without the need for chilling.
In this new study, Lucence and A*STAR demonstrated that the proprietary reagent provided with the SAFER Sample kit also achieved complete inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 virus within 45 seconds of exposure. Conventional viral transport media used for collecting nasal and nasopharyngeal swab specimens do not inactivate viral samples, creating risk of exposure to active virus during transportation from collection sites to the laboratory and higher costs associated with biohazard handling procedures. SAFER Sample kit’s viral inactivation capabilities could mean enhanced safety and reduced risk of exposure for any individual involved in the collection, transport, and testing processes. Lucence worked with the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub of A*STAR to evaluate the virucidal properties of the SAFER Sample reagent. Duke-NUS Medical School was also engaged to perform the virucidal work with SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Mass testing and screening of large populations is key to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, morbidity and mortality. By eliminating obstacles to sample integrity and, now, biosafety through viral inactivation, the SAFER Sample kit could expand testing geography, decrease associated costs, and increase efficiency of testing at scale compared to approaches utilizing conventional viral transport media.
Studies with clinical partners are ongoing to further evaluate the performance of the SAFER Sample kit. With the support of DxD Hub in verification and validation, quality management system (QMS), and regulatory registration, Lucence has received ISO13485:2016 certification for its QMS which controls the processes for the manufacture of the SAFER Sample Saliva Specimen Collection Kit.
About Lucence
Lucence is a precision oncology company that makes state-of-the-art, highly sensitive liquid biopsy tests for disease detection and treatment selection. Lucence is headquartered in Palo Alto and Singapore, and its services are delivered worldwide through an accredited central laboratory. Visit www.lucence.com for more information.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, spearheading economic-oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and research entities, the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg. For information on the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, visit https://www.a-star.edu.sg/accelerate/innovation-offerings/diagnostics-development-hub
Follow us on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200616005320/en/
Contact information
Lucence Media Contact
Gabriel Yap
media@lucence.com
A*STAR Media Contact
Ms. Lynn Hong
hongxl@hq.a-star.edu.sg
+65 6419 6597
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Qorium Becomes Reyva as Cultivated Leather Company Moves Towards Commercial Scale2.11.2026 12:00:00 EET | Press release
Qorium, the company that develops cultivated real leather, today announces that it is becoming Reyva. The new name and identity mark its next stage: moving from a pioneering technology business towards a global material brand built for the exacting standards of the luxury leather sector. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102661351/en/ Reyva creates beautiful, high-performing real leather. By cultivating leather in uniform sheets, we can move beyond the natural limits of traditional hides, with greater control over its shape, size, thickness and structure. Reyva sample photography by Laurent Stevens Reyva grows collagen directly from animal cells and cultivates it through a proprietary process to create uniform sheets. The resulting material is then tanned to become real leather, made from the same natural material that gives conventional leather its strength, breathability and durability. It does so without t
Ant International Research Highlights How Readable AI Memories Can Unlock More Personalised, Privacy-conscious Consumer Experiences2.11.2026 10:52:00 EET | Press release
Human sales and customer representatives have institutional memories to serve clients: their preferences and choices. How can we build a memory mechanism for AI services to create similarly personalised experiences? Ant International’s research on this subject recently received the Senior Area Chair (SAC) Highlight Award from the Best Paper Committee at EMNLP 2026, a leading global AI conference. Why do we need “readable AI memory”? In this paper titled 'Text as a universal interface for transferable personalisation', we look into one fact: until now, AI memory of a user has usually been generated and stored as dense numerical code only the original system can interpret. Two long-standing problems with that: First, today's user profiles are "black boxes" — opaque code locked inside a single app, so activity in one service teaches nothing to another, and every product has to re-learn you from scratch. Second, profiles are welded to the model that created them, so they don't transfer whe
Car Connectivity Consortium Expands Focus on Digital Access for Two-Wheelers and Micromobility2.11.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
The Car Connectivity Consortium® (CCC), the global organization advancing interoperable connectivity between vehicles and devices, today highlighted its expanding work across the two-wheeler and micromobility markets ahead of EICMA 2026 in Milan, Italy. Through its Light Motor & Mobility Task Group (LMTG), CCC is bringing member companies together to address the distinct digital access needs of these markets and identify opportunities to advance standardization and interoperability. Key highlights of CCC's two-wheeler and micromobility work include: Addressing two-wheeler digital access needs: LMTG is examining requirements across motorcycles, scooters, e-bikes and other two- and three-wheeled vehicles. Exploring new applications for digital key technology: Member discussions include vehicle access and starting, access to vehicle components, and digital key sharing. Building broader industry participation: CCC will engage with manufacturers and technology companies at EICMA 2026 to dis
Liberis and Qred Complete Merger Following Regulatory Approval to Create Global SMB Financial Platform2.11.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Liberis, a leading global embedded finance platform, and Qred, one of Europe’s foremost digital small business banks, today announced the completion of their merger, first announced in June 2026, following approval from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (SFSA). The merger combines Qred’s regulated banking capability and direct relationships with small businesses with Liberis’s embedded finance technology and distribution through more than 30 partners, including Deliveroo, Vagaro and Nexi. The group serves more than 60,000 small businesses across 17 countries and has access to approximately 11.5 million addressable merchants. Qred’s deposit-funded banking model and direct customer relationships complement Liberis’s partner-led distribution. Together, the businesses bring two routes to small business finance: through a regulated bank and through platforms that businesses already use. The group’s ambition is to broaden the financial services available to small businesses and its
OpenGate Capital Completes the Acquisition of Maersk Training, the Global Safety Training and Gas Safety Services Business of Maersk2.11.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
OpenGate Capital (“OpenGate”), a global private equity firm, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Maersk Training and its subsidiary Maersk H2S Safety Services. The company, a provider of global safety training and gas safety services, is being carved out from A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S (MAERSK A:CPH), a listed integrated logistics company. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Headquartered in Svendborg, Denmark, Maersk Training is a leading global provider of essential safety services and training. Through Maersk H2S Safety Services, the company provides specialized outsourced hydrogen sulphide and Health, Safety and Environment safety services for customers in high-risk operating environments. The H2S Safety Services team provides onsite supervision, monitoring and safety equipment maintenance where the safety of personnel and the protection of assets are critical. Through its training business, the company also delivers safety training, competency developmen
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom