Mawi iSWAB Microbiome-EL Enables Prime Discoveries’ Development of Rapid Extraction-Less COVID Diagnostic Assay
25.4.2022 16:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Mawi DNA Technologies (Mawi), a biotechnology company focusing on the development of innovative technologies for biosampling, announces that Prime Discoveries has successfully developed CovidDetect™, a rapid isothermal amplification diagnostic assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Without the need for RNA extraction and purification, the sample result occurs in less than 30 minutes. The assay uses Mawi’s new iSWAB Microbiome-EL (Extraction-Less) sample collection technology. This allows RNA release from the sample and maintains stability, protecting it from degradation and allowing room temperature storage and transport.
Prime Discoveries recently received CE IVD marking for CovidDetect™ and plans to pursue FDA 510K approval soon. Clinical results from Prime CovidDetect™ has been peer reviewed and recently published in PLOS ONE under “A Rapid, Specific, Extraction-Less, and Cost-Effective RT-LAMP Test for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Specimens.” The CE marking allows deployment of a solution to countries in Africa and Asia where rapid, inexpensive diagnostics for various infections with minimal technical expertise and equipment infrastructure is highly required.
Prime CovidDetect™ leverages Mawi’s unique iSWAB Microbiome-EL sample collection buffer with Prime Discoveries’ patented Loop AMPlification (LAMP) technology. This allows isothermal nucleic acid amplification removing the need for expensive thermal cycling equipment required for PCR. The Extraction-Less protocol bypasses the expensive and complex nucleic acid extraction and purification step, saving 60-90 minutes of sample processing time needed for PCR.
Arun Manoharan, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer at Prime Discoveries, said, “The COVID pandemic has shown that there is a big need for rapid diagnostic assays. Prime Discoveries aims to build a portfolio of solutions which can provide results in under 45 minutes with minimal laboratory, reagent and technical skill requirements. This is ideal for point of care testing in rural neighborhoods, mobile testing, border points of entry and clinical locations with minimal infrastructure. Our work with COVID has shown stable performance of the Mawi iSWAB Microbiome-EL for hundreds of clinical samples with similar or superior performance to RT-PCR solutions. Samples have been stable for more than two weeks with minimal RNA degradation along with high compatibility with our isothermal nucleic acid amplification techniques.” He added, “Our partnership with Mawi enables Prime Discoveries to develop room temperature sampling with Extraction-Less capabilities for our rapid diagnostic solutions in many areas. These include influenza, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, HBV, HCV, HPV, TB, herpes, syphilis, etc. We are excited to partner with Mawi for future products empowering customers to test thousands of patients rapidly for various infections including respiratory, gastrointestinal, sexually transmitted pathogens and those with anti-microbial resistance.”
About Prime Discoveries
Prime Discoveries develops rapid, novel diagnostics for emerging pathogen infections with a focus on cost effective, massively scalable and easily automatable assays. Founded in NYC in 2017, Prime’s scientists have extensive backgrounds in microbiology, computational biology, lab automation and AI from Genentech, Cooper Genomics, Recombine, Phosphorus, and NYU. Prime is advised by leading experts in the fields of genomics and public health including Dr. George Church and New York University. Prime is supported by academic institutions, venture capital firms and angel investors including New York University, Charles Zegar (Bloomberg), Esther Dyson (23 & Me), BoxGroup, Akron Fusion Ventures, Beresford Ventures, Cannonball Capital, Liquid 2 Ventures, Francois Nader (Moderna, Acceleron, Shire), Unshackled Ventures, Doberman Forward, and others. For more information, visit www.primediscoveries.com.
About Mawi DNA Technologies
Mawi DNA Technologies, founded in 2013, has developed and commercialized the iSWAB technology, an innovative system for collection of biosamples. Mawi’s mission is to uphold sample integrity from anywhere in the world at room temperature, enabling true sample diversity across any geography or population segment. At Mawi, The Future of Biosampling is Here™. For more information, visit http://www.mawidna.com.
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/20220425005323/en/
Contact information
Investors:
Jerome David, VP of Sales and Marketing
510-256-5186, j.david@mawidna.com
Media Contact:
Susan Tellem, APR, RN, BSN
310-313-3444, susan@tellemgrodypr.com
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
Philips and Imricor Launch Cardiac Interventional MR Lab Solution, Expanding Longstanding Collaboration27.8.2026 22:27:00 EEST | Press release
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and Imricor Medical Systems (ASX: IMR), a pioneer and world-leading developer of MR-compatible products for interventional MR procedures, today announced a new Interventional MR (iMR) lab solution for Philips 1.5T MR. The first commercially available configuration* combines Philips’ 1.5T MRI platform and Imricor's portfolio of iMR systems and consumables, enabling an MR-guided workflow for cardiac intervention, without compromising on MR field strength. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827693715/en/ Meeting the need for greater tissue insight during cardiac intervention Cardiac arrhythmias affect millions of people worldwide, and catheter ablation is an established and increasingly utilized treatment for many complex cardiac arrhythmias. Yet today, these procedures continue to rely primarily on X-ray fluoroscopy, which provides only
Xsolla Launches Game Biz Institute, an Editorial Platform Where Industry Practitioners Explain the Business of Games27.8.2026 18:32:00 EEST | Press release
Xsolla, a global commerce company, today announced the launch of Game Biz Institute (GBI), an editorial platform where named industry practitioners and researchers examine the commercial layer of games: direct-to-player distribution, payments, monetization, user acquisition, and retention. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827362663/en/ Graphic: Xsolla Game design has a curriculum. The business of games does not. Engines, pipelines, production, and narrative are taught at hundreds of universities, while the commercial machinery that determines whether good work becomes a durable company is still learned through expensive trial and error, usually after the decisions that mattered have already been made. GBI was built to close that gap by publishing what practitioners have actually learned running these businesses. "Game developers have never had more data and less clarity," said Chris Hewish, President of Xsol
Star Wars Zero Company™ Now Available On PC, PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series Consoles27.8.2026 18:00:00 EEST | Press release
Electronic Arts Inc. and Bit Reactor, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, announced today that Star Wars Zero Company™, a single-player turn-based tactics game set in the twilight of the Clone Wars™, is now available for PC via the EA app, Steam, and Epic Games Store, and PlayStation®5 and XBOX Series consoles. In Star Wars Zero Company, former Republic officer Hawks and Zero Company, an elite squad of unconventional professionals for hire, are recruited for an operation by Republic Intelligence. From ex-nobles to ex-cons, they now share one mission: Stop the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-aligned cult, and their leader Kundri Fathom before the deadly Shadow Plague consumes the galaxy. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827012810/en/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=7SYogg8ILAD3tUG3&v=AxAgeglgSeA&feature=youtu.be “After all these years of hard work from our amazing team, Star Wars Zero Company is a go for laun
Rehlko Joins Wisconsin Data Center Coalition as Newest Energy Resilience Member, Reinforcing Its Role at the Center of AI and Digital Infrastructure Growth27.8.2026 16:15:00 EEST | Press release
Rehlko, a global industrial energy resilience platform providing custom-engineered, integrated power solutions for mission-critical infrastructure worldwide, today announced it has joined the Wisconsin Data Center Coalition (WIDCC) as the organization's newest energy resilience member. The membership reflects Rehlko's commitment to advancing Wisconsin's role as a leader in responsible AI infrastructure development, built on reliable and scalable power. Rapid growth in hyperscale and enterprise data center investment is reshaping markets across the world, and Rehlko is building the power infrastructure that makes it possible. Sitting at the intersection of the structural forces driving AI infrastructure expansion, grid reliability, and accelerating electrification, Rehlko brings more than a century of engineering depth and lifecycle capability to the table. WIDCC brings together stakeholders from across Wisconsin's technology, utility, economic development, workforce development, govern
GenNx360 Capital Partners Closes Fourth Flagship Fund at $865 Million27.8.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
GenNx360 Capital Partners (“GenNx360” or “the Firm”), a New York City-based private equity firm investing in U.S. lower middle market industrial services and business services companies, today announced the successful closing of GenNx360 Capital Partners IV, L.P. (“Fund IV” or “the Fund”), with $865 million in commitments, exceeding its target. Fund IV is the largest fund raised in GenNx360’s history. Fund IV was supported by a diverse group of existing and new investors including leading pensions, asset managers, insurance companies, foundations, and family offices, reflecting conviction in the firm’s disciplined investment approach, operational value creation model, and tenured, diverse team. Fund IV will continue GenNx360’s differentiated strategy of partnering with lower middle market founders and management teams to scale essential services businesses. Fund IV has made five investments to date across infrastructure services, testing and inspection services, aerospace and defense,
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