# Improved diagnostic sensitivity for rapid COVID-19 testing using Enhanced Preservation Media

> **NIH NIH R44** · CONVERGENT GENOMICS, INC. · 2020 · $999,975

## Abstract

Project Summary
COVID-19 continues to be a global emergency. As nations and economies attempt to reopen, the
rate of viral spread and deaths continues to rise, particularly in many large urban centers within
the United States, where shelter in place orders did not sufficiently reduce infection burden.
Continued improvement in SARS-CoV-2 testing infrastructure and test performance are urgently
needed. False negative testing rates have been reported at 30-50%, meaning that for every 10
COVID-19 positive patients tested, 3 to 5 will receive an inaccurate negative result. These false
negative rates occur with all testing platforms currently used, making control of viral spread
nearly impossible. While the technology underlying the test systems themselves are technically
very sensitive, much of the lost sensitivity arises earlier in the test process during sample
collection, transportation, and RNA extraction.
 Global rates of high false negative test results – using the best test kits and protocols –
continue to arise from two major sources: First, samples are not well preserved in CDC endorsed
Viral Transport Media/Universal Transport Media (VTM/UTM) or other transport medias,
leading to a 10-100x signal loss as a consequence of poor preservation; Second, the remaining
sample is then further diluted often to 0.25% of the original concentration during extraction
before going into the test. Until these fundamental testing problems are solved, and with no other
solutions available, high false negative test results will allow viral spread to continue rising. In
order to address this unmet need, Convergent Genomics has developed Enhanced Preservation
Media™, a universal specimen transportation and integrated extraction solution, to significantly
improve testing performance.
 Enhanced Preservation Media (EPM) enables the following testing improvements: EPM
is built for seamless integration with point-of-care or centralized PCR tests world-wide; EPM
will achieve FDA approval as the first integrated stabilization and extraction preservation media
for SARS-CoV-2; and EPM will be clinically validated with leading research centers for
expanded community surveillance testing of SARS-CoV-2. Our proprietary buffer protects free
nucleic acids by multiple mechanisms, destroys virus to protect testing personnel, and facilitates
simple, high-throughput extraction of entire samples. In vitro testing has demonstrated the
capabilities of this platform to significantly improve testing performance in the most challenging
low viral load samples.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10203669
- **Project number:** 3R44CA200174-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** CONVERGENT GENOMICS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Trevor Levin
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $999,975
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10203669

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10203669, Improved diagnostic sensitivity for rapid COVID-19 testing using Enhanced Preservation Media (3R44CA200174-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10203669. Licensed CC0.

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