We reduce the turnaround time for a Legionella test from 14 days to a few hours

“Reducing the time of a Legionella analysis from 14 days to a few hours”

This is the aim of the project being developed by the Irish company BioProbe Diagnostics, in which Laboratorio Control is collaborating.

BioProbe Diagnostics has developed the first comprehensive test for Legionella in water, which will reduce the turnaround time for results from 14 days to less than 5 hours. In addition, this new testing technique is capable of detecting multiple Legionella species in a single water sample at the same time.

This innovative project is being developed in collaboration with three leading European partners in the sector*, and has won the European Commission’s Fast Track 2020 Innovation Award.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 950822 and 816742.

Rapid detection of Legionella is becoming increasingly important. Following months of COVID-19 lockdown there has been a worrying increase in Legionella outbreaks worldwide, as stagnant water in unused facilities provides a perfect breeding ground for this bacterium.

Bio LP-1, is a rapid and highly sensitive PCR test, which provides a complete Legionella profile in less than 5 hours.

“Our innovative Bio LP-1 PCR test kit is a paradigm shift for Legionella testing in water, offering a fast and reliable solution. This means that water quality and safety can be assured within a few hours, instead of the 14 days currently used, which has a direct impact on social welfare. It also offers an attractive solution for laboratories, especially in an outbreak scenario, where they can quickly see if corrective actions are working. Dr Elizabeth Minogue, chief scientific officer of BioProbe Diagnostics.

The Bio LP-1 kits will be available on the market in early 2022. Laboratorio Control is one of the three main partners in the project and is currently involved in the efficacy testing phase of the rapid tests, testing Legionella in water using both the traditional and the new analytical method, collating the results and confirming the veracity of the new Bio LP-1 kits.

See all the information about the new Bio LP-1 rapid Legionella testing solution here.

*Other project partners
myPOLS Biotec GmbH is a European leader in molecular biology reagent manufacturing
Genaxxon bioscience GmbH is a European leader in the sale of innovative molecular IVD products