Jim Wicks, Founder and Executive Chair of YouSeq, is on a mission to develop a universal diagnostic test for every disease on Earth – using qualitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays.
Multiplexing allows multiple pathogens or genetic markers to be detected with a single reaction. It enables faster results and more actionable insights than single target PCR testing. Now, combinations of different multiplex tests can be combined into custom-built panels. These expand the number of pathogens, markers, or variants that can be detected in a single run on an analyzer.
Here, Wicks explains why he believes multiplex qPCR testing holds the key to more efficient and wide-ranging diagnostics for infectious diseases.
How does multiplex testing compare to traditional single-target assays in terms of both efficiency and diagnostic accuracy?
Multiplexing allows for detection of multiple targets in a single PCR reaction. Typically, this is up to four targets in a well – although we’ve built some multiplexes with up to 12 targets in a single well. This means a lab can run up to 12 tests in the same time as it would take to run one.
The challenge has always been around maintaining diagnostic accuracy in a multiplex setting. No one wants to compromise on patient safety or clinical efficacy.
Quality control might involve building bespoke in silico design tools to model DNA interactions, or devising novel chemistries in reaction mixes that minimize primer-primer interactions. We place a huge focus on real lab wet testing to make sure that every primer pair is performing perfectly.
How can multiplex testing flexibility empower smaller or resource-limited laboratories to run advanced diagnostics?
Multiplexing allows smaller labs with access to lower throughput instrumentation the ability to run more tests at once. This means that resource-limited laboratories can get more for their money and more from their instruments.
This represents a huge step forward in placing advanced diagnostics into the hands of more laboratories – it’s democratization in action.
Could you elaborate on how multiplex testing transforms the operational and economic efficiency of diagnostic labs?
The economic efficiency of a private laboratory is driven by the number of samples it can process in a day and how many analyses it can be reimbursed for. Multiplexes bring huge benefits on both fronts.
Multiplexing allows for more samples to be processed in the same time frame. And allows for more analytes to be tested at once. That's both an economic win for the laboratory and a win for the patient, as far more comprehensive clinical questions can be answered.
Beyond infectious disease, where do you see multiplex technology making the biggest impact next?
We’ve already added a large portfolio of antimicrobial resistance markers to our menu – a crucial tool in the field of antibiotic stewardship. A powerful multiplexed pharmacogenomics test is also coming soon.
Genetic tests for cystic fibrosis and some simple mutations associated with various cancers are now available, with the portfolio expanding all the time. To answer the complex questions in the oncology space then we pivot to next-generation sequencing – the ultimate multiplexing tool!
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