Here are the top articles from March 2025 showcasing our products:

• The first study evaluated the performance of the Xpert® Carba-R assay, a real-time PCR-based test for detecting carbapenemase (CPE) genes directly from rectal swabs using the FecalSwab™ collection device. The Italian researchers found that 200 μL of the FecalSwab™ sample medium provided reliable Ct values with fewer invalid samples than traditional methods, with a detection limit for the CPE genes ranging from 4.7 × 10³ to 6.8 × 10³ CFU/mL. Storage conditions were also evaluated, revealing improved performance at room temperature after 16 hours compared to storage at 4 °C. The study concluded that FecalSwab™ could enhance CPE screening by facilitating both molecular and cultural methods with a single sampling.
• Prof Cristino and her team are the authors of the second study proposing an environmental SARS-CoV-2 surface routine monitoring approach for a rapid and effective evaluation of surface hygienic conditions and the effectiveness of sanitization measures. The researchers collected surface samples using SRK® and compared three molecular techniques: Reverse Transcription Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (RT-LAMP,), Reverse-Transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Considering the overall properties of each technique, this study suggests using RT-LAMP as an effective method to screen negative from positive surfaces. In the event of a positive outcome, a sensitive, quantitative test such as ddPCR should be used to confirm the result.
• The third study is a collaboration between the US and Switzerland aimed at identifying the optimal processing method for tongue swabs in the Xpert Ultra assay for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Four methods utilizing Xpert Sample Reagent (SR) combined with varying concentrations of Tris–EDTA–Tween were compared against treatment with SR alone and a standard heat inactivation protocol. Swabs from volunteers without TB were placed in test buffers spiked with known amounts of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to evaluate the performance of each method, indicating that swabs processed with a 1:1 diluted SR buffer had the lowest detection limit. While these findings highlight the potential of optimized tongue swab processing methods, this research emphasizes the importance of refining sample preparation techniques to enhance the sensitivity and reliability of TB diagnostics using tongue swabs.

Read the full studies below: