Gov’t scientists develop ASF rapid test kits

THE Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said it collaborated in the development of technologies that will speed up the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) in hog farms.

The Industrial Technology Development Institute, an arm of the DoST, developed a rapid DNA extraction kit known as TUSLOB and a real-time detection kit known as VIPtec that will speed up Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing on samples.

TUSLOB can also be used to detect other animal diseases and is optimized for point-of-care testing, according to the DoST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) said in a statement.

VIPtec, meanwhile, is optimized for use with portable PCR machines, making it suitable for on-site diagnosis of ASF.

The test kits were developed under the Virology and Vaccine Research Program funded by DoST and overseen by PCAARRD.

The DoST also announced the first domestically developed Mobile Biocontainment Laboratory by BioAssets Corp.

The laboratory is designed to support rapid response to potential outbreaks and improve disease surveillance at the point of need, PCAARRD said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza