Strategies for Increasing the Throughput of Genetic Screening: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic within a University Community

Abstract

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Polytechnic University of Setúbal (IPS) used its expertise in molecular genetics to establish a COVID-19 laboratory, addressing the demand for community-wide testing. Following standard protocols, the IPS COVID Lab received national accreditation in October 2020 and was registered in February 2021. With the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and safety concerns for students and staff, the lab was further challenged to develop rapid and sensitive diagnostic technologies. Methodologies such as sample-pooling extraction and multiplex protocols were developed to enhance testing efficiency without compromising accuracy. Through Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, the effectiveness of sample pooling was validated, proving to be a clear success in COVID-19 screening. Regarding multiplex analysis, the IPS COVID Lab developed an in-house protocol, achieving a sensitivity comparable to that of standard methods while reducing operational time and reagent consumption. This approach, requiring only two wells of a PCR plate (instead of three for samples), presents a more efficient alternative for future testing scenarios, increasing its throughput and testing capacity while upholding accuracy standards. The lessons learned during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic provide added value for future pandemic situations.