The Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST- FNRI), lent one unit of Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) machine to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) last April 16, 2020 to aid in the testing for COVID-19.
The BioRad CFX 96 Touch deep well optical reaction module with Touch Thermal Cycler was purchased in 2016 under DOST-GIA funded entitled “Enhancing OneLab for Global Competitiveness”.
With the additional qPCR machines, National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory of RITM can process more test kits and operate more effectively in diagnosing infected persons and help provide effective medical care to COVID-19 patients. With more qPCRs, our collective effort towards the Bayanihan Act of Heal as One will be one more step closer to fruition.
The qPCR Machine of the DOST-FNRI- Service Laboratory will help to increase the COVID-19 Testing capacity of RITM. The transfer of the machines became possible in collaboration with the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) and DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
