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Research Highlights

COVID-19 Delta Variant Reference Material to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy

  • Writerkrissadmin
  • Date2021-11-24 00:00
  • Hits1805

COVID-19 Delta Variant Reference Material to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy

- Korea’s first RNA reference material for the COVID-19 Delta variant -

- Expected to improve specificity and sensitivity of Delta variant diagnosis-


 ▲ Korea's first viral RNA reference material for the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, developed by the KRISS


The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Hyun-Min Park) has successfully developed Korea’s first viral RNA reference material for the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.


The reference material for the Delta variant follows the SARS-CoV-2 RNA reference material developed in 2020, as an emergency response to the rapid spread of the Delta variant. It can be used in the development and testing of diagnostic kits currently in use or in development, and is expected to greatly improve the specificity and sensitivity of Delta variant diagnosis. 


The virus which causes COVID-19, a global pandemic since 2020, has had several variants of concern, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. However, the majority of infections currently being detected are attributed to the Delta variant, both internationally and domestically.


As the delta variant overtook other variants as the dominant varmint, the specificity and sensitivity of the currently used diagnostic methods against the Delta variant should be validated. Additionally, the developing diagnostic methods also have to be able to effectively diagnose the Delta variant. Thus, the demand for a Delta variant reference material has grown significantly.


The team of researchers quantified extracted viral genomic RNA from the cultured Delta variant virus isolated from Korean patient using digital PCR with three genes and these values were used to determine the characteristic values of the reference material. 


Unlike previous reference materials manufactured through gene synthesis, this reference material is made from the cultured SARS-CoV-2 virus particle, containing 100% of the virus genome. This means that it can be used to develop whole genome sequencing methods of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.


Furthermore, using a common reference material can prove the performance of Korean diagnostic kits confidently, encouraging the exports of Korean diagnostic kits.


 ▲  The Microbiological Analysis Team of Biometrology Group in the KRISS 

(From left, Senior Research Scientist Yoo Hee Min, 

Principal Research Scientist Seil Kim, Senior Research Scientist Kim Ilhwan)


Principal Research Scientist Seil Kim of the KRISS Microbiological Analysis Team explained, “KRISS was the first national metrology institute to develop a reference material for the Delta variant,” adding, “the reference material can provide precise criteria for negative/positive test results, improving the reliability of diagnosis as well as verifying the sensitivity and accuracy of genome analysis.”


Meanwhile, the SARS-CoV-2 RNA reference material developed in 2020 has been distributed over 280 times to date, and the Delta variant reference material is available at the KRISS e-shop (eshop.kriss.re.kr).


The measurement technologies used in the development of this reference materials were funded by KRISS Key Projects and the National Research Council of Science and Technology’s Convergence Research Group Projects, and published online in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology and International Journal of Molecular Science.

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