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
Sharjah Advocates More Dominant Role for Women in Technology under 2050 Roadmap24.9.2026 19:38:00 EEST | Press release
As artificial intelligence reshapes global economies, the UAE is placing women at the heart of its global ambitions positioning them not only as participants, but as key contributors to the AI future. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924186173/en/ Women leaders and technology experts during a session at the Women in Technology 2026 Forum in Sharjah (Photo: AETOSWire) The message was echoed by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK), who urged women to move beyond participation in technology to playing a leading role in shaping the future. Addressing the seventh edition of the Women in Technology 2026 Forum, hosted by SPARK on the theme “The 2050 Mindset,” HH Sheikha Bodour said: “2050 may seem far away, but it is being shaped by the decisions we make, the research we fund and the technologies we develop today. Women must t
MultiBank Group Founder and Chairman Naser Taher Named Financial Leader of the Year at Gulf Business Awards 202624.9.2026 18:39:00 EEST | Press release
Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, was named Financial Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards 2026. Presented during a ceremony held on 23 September at The Ritz-Carlton JBR, Dubai, the award was part of the Editor’s Choice category. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924454616/en/ Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, was named Financial Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards 2026 The recognition comes after Taher lead the expansion of MultiBank Group for more than two decades, from its founding in 2005 to a financial institution serving more than four million clients across 100 countries today. Under his leadership, the Group has built a presence under more than 18 financial regulators across five continents and recorded daily trading
Multiple Industry Honors Reinforce CSG/Netcracker Leadership in Customer Journey Orchestration and AI Innovation24.9.2026 18:05:00 EEST | Press release
The next phase of customer experience hinges on how well brands turn customer data into relevant communications, real-time action, and responsible, proven AI use. CSG® and Netcracker Technology today announced that CSG has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Customer Journey Orchestration Platforms, Q3 2026, with the highest possible scores in 19 of 23 Forrester Wave™ criteria. CSG Xponent, a best-in-class customer engagement platform, helps brands land timelier, more relevant communications that drive customer action, secure loyalty, and bolster measurable business results. The Forrester Wave™: Customer Journey Orchestration Platforms states that, “CSG earns superior scores across the core journey intelligence and orchestration capabilities that define this market. Its excellent journey simulation, predictive intelligence, and decisioning capabilities help organizations evaluate likely outcomes before introducing changes into live journeys, improving decision confidence and re
Vasion Ⓡ Enhances Global Partner Program to Accelerate AI-Powered Automation24.9.2026 17:05:00 EEST | Press release
VasionⓇ, the Intelligent Print Automation platform trusted by more than 14,000 organizations worldwide, today unveiled a comprehensive refresh of its Global Partner Program. The program delivers the resources partners expect from Vasion: always-on incentives, structured onboarding, elevated enablement, and a rebuilt portal experience, all engineered to help partners scale, compete, and deliver stronger customer outcomes as agentic AI reshapes how enterprises automate work. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924791639/en/ Agentic print and document workflow environments remain an overlooked channel opportunity, as enterprises race toward agentic automation. IDC forecasts that by 2026, 40% of all Global 2000 job roles will involve working with AI agents, redefining long-held traditional entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level positions [1]. IDC's research points to this new class of AI reshaping not just how fa
The Only AI Crypto Lead Prioritization Solution Built With Law Enforcement, for Law Enforcement: Elliptic Launches Pulse24.9.2026 16:15:00 EEST | Press release
Elliptic, the global leader in on-chain risk, today launched Pulse. Pulse puts crypto lead prioritization directly in the hands of every frontline law enforcement and government officer. Crypto now touches every part of law enforcement, from the patrol officer on the street to the detective assigned to investigate the case. Pulse gives each of them a quick, accurate financial summary and a starting point: whether that's a crypto address on a suspect's phone, in a scam ATM victim's receipt, uncovered during a vehicle or pocket search, or found at the scene of an overdose, an arrest, or a seizure. An officer can input anything that looks like a wallet address or transaction hash. Pulse identifies it, reasons over the result, and returns a summary in plain language, enough for the officer to decide on the spot whether the case needs escalation. If a case needs further investigation, one click sends the full analysis forward, not just the evidence. The criminal investigations division gets
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