Fighting the pandemic: Working group on the quality assurance of testing procedures

PTB instituted a new working group to intensify and extend research activities in the field of quantitative nucleic acid analysis. To fight against antimicrobial resistance, sepsis (within the scope of EMPIR projects) as well as SARS-CoV-2, research and development work is conducted with the aim to provide metrological support for the quality assurance of testing procedures and thus, among other things, prepare and provide procedures for the fight against the current as well as against future pandemics.

The tasks of the new working group, 8.33, will primarily focus on

• the development of procedures used to assess the analytical performance of microbiological tests, especially quantitative nucleic acid tests used to detect virus genomes and other pathogens;
• the development of the respective reference measurement procedures;
• and supporting the development and assessment of rapid point-of-care tests and the comparison of their analytic performance with conventional test methods. “Point-of-care testing” refers to decentralized laboratory diagnostics directly at the bedside, in the emergency room, in the operating room or already at the scene of an accident. Self-testing systems such as COVID-19 rapid tests are also included.