Institut Jules Bordet
" Contribution to the application and implementation of a novel Covid-19 diagnostic testing method developed at the GIGA/FARAH academic research institutes. Starting with a handful academic scientists from different disciplines, we established a Covid diagnostic lab with the goal of increasing the testing capacity in Belgium during the heaviest period of the crisis. The lab was entirely and exclusively build by training academic volunteers dedicating their time and energy to a joint effort to "beat the virus". Today the lab has a testing capacity of > 3000 samples/day, 7days/7. The diagnostic lab contributed - and still contributes - to the federal Testing Task Force as one of the five partners involved in screening nursing homes and more recently "centres de triage". We believe extensive testing may be critical to assist and better understand the nascent "deconfinement". Making available our expertise in virus-associated diseases accumulated over years of research on virus-induced cancer at the Jules Bordet Institute, we participated in training volunteers to Covid diagnostic methods in L2 biosafety environments. Doing so, we build a tight community of scientists all driven by their determination to help beating Covid-19. Besides the scientific and technical aspects, we feel this unique experience - sharing ideas, discussing ethical and social concerns - may have an impact on how young scientists see the world. They are the future. "
Contact: Anne Van den Broeke This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Institut Jules Bordet, Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Brussels GIGA, Unit of Animal Genomics, Liège
Comment: Refer to "Diagnostic Platform" contributed by Dr Laurent Gillet and Dr Fabrice Bureau GIGA and FARAH ULiège. Links and videos: https://www.giga.uliege.be/cms/c_5690421/en/discover-the-work-of-the-covid-diagnostic-lab https://www.giga.uliege.be/cms/c_5681143/en/the-covid-diagnostic-laboratory-is-operational