Otago spin-out gets to the DNA of Ebola

Ubiquitome, a spin-out of Otago University, is to partner Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) with a view to fast track its ebola field diagnosis kit.

Testing of Ubiquitome’s Freedom4 ebola kit will now be conducted on US shores, allowing it to be fast tracked by the US Food and Drug Administration in order to facilitate rapid deployment of the technology to areas of the world affected by the virus.

The Freedom4 is roughly the size of a brick, battery powered, and designed to provide quick and accurate test results for the virus in the field.

Paul Pickering, Ubiquitome CEO, said: “The Ubiquitome Freedom4 Real-Time RT-PCR Ebola Virus Assay, run on the Freedom4, will allow rapid, accurate field testing of Ebola virus disease. This is important because regions affected by this disease are often far from an established laboratory.”