FREDERICK, Md. (PRWEB)
April 16, 2021

CIAN Diagnostics, the premier COVID-19 testing facility, is partnering with the epidemiological tracing and vaccine experts at Ginkgo Bioworks to ramp up pooled testing for schools across the country.

As more and more schools reopen for in-person learning, the critical role of routine COVID testing is expanding exponentially. As teachers, parents and guardians become eligible for vaccines, clinical trials for children and teens are just beginning and remain clouded in uncertainty. As a result, the tracking of this viral spread remains more critical than ever.

To attack the pandemic head-on, Maryland-based CIAN Diagnostics and Boston-based Concentric by Ginkgo have focused their efforts on a scalable and simple testing modality — on-site pooled testing. This approach protects our children, expedites the re-opening of schools and gives parents and guardians a sense of security during their workday.

“CIAN has been a pillar and pioneer for COVID testing in the Northeast and nationally,” said CIAN CEO Kyle Koeppler. “Our talented staff performs high-volume testing as a preferred partner for state testing, employers, schools, nursing homes and organizations across the country. CIAN’s pioneering pooled testing efforts began in September of 2020 and validated the process for screening and surveillance, with more than 30,000 pooled tests to date. When Concentric and Ginkgo Bioworks presented us with the opportunity to leverage our collective expertise, it was an obvious, ideal union and one that we’re very excited about.”

Concentric by Ginkgo’s goal is to provide easy, affordable pooled testing to every school in the U.S. Pooled classroom testing combines swabs from all consenting individuals in a classroom. The swabs are then processed as a single test, significantly increasing capacity and lowering costs. Concentric currently works with hundreds of schools across the country.

“We’re excited to partner with CIAN and provide much-needed capacity for pooled testing in schools,” said Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks. “This type of low-cost, large-scale, regular testing is perfect for schools and allows communities to test every student, every week. We’re thrilled at Concentric to be working in Maryland with Baltimore City Public Schools and Montgomery County, and hundreds of other schools across the country. Our weekly testing can help inform mitigation efforts, interrupt chains of transmission and keep kids and teachers in the classroom with confidence.”

CIAN Diagnostics is a high throughput CLIA and COLA certified laboratory operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CIAN employs approximately 190 employees in Frederick, Maryland and occupies more than 40,000-square-feet of technical space, 10,000-square-feet of Research and Development space and 50,000-square-feet of warehouse space. CIAN Diagnostics’ molecular platform supports individual COVID-19 testing, on-site Pooled testing, COVID-19 Antibody testing, and bio-banking to name a few. CIAN Diagnostics’ strength lies with its ability to perform during times of flex, innovate to market demands, and maintain a creative vision across the diagnostic landscape. To request more information on how CIAN can support your needs, visit http://www.ciandx.com.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Concentric by Ginkgo is Ginkgo Bioworks’ public health and biosecurity effort. Headquartered in Boston, Ginkgo uses the most advanced technology on the planet — biology — to grow better products. The company’s cell programming platform is enabling the growth of biotechnology across diverse markets, from food to fragrance to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo is also actively supporting a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including community testing, epidemiological tracing, vaccine development and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit http://www.ginkgobioworks.com.

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