# COVID-19: Enhancing testing and sequencing capacity for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and other zoonotic viruses at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

> **NIH FDA U18** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2022 · $89,694

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Enhancing testing and sequencing capacity for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
 and other zoonotic viruses at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
The Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) has the capability of testing for SARS-CoV-2
by PCR. The MVDL was critical during the first phase of the response to the pandemic by testing human
samples while the state of Minnesota acquired the capacity to respond to the testing needs. The MVDL is
the reference laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 testing in animal samples in Minnesota. This proposal requests
funding for equipment to improve laboratory capacity to test for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR and to sequence
positive samples. These improvements would also benefit the capacity to respond to other zoonotic
diseases. The SARS-CoV-2 PCR test is currently performed in an Applied Biosystems 7500 thermal
cycler, which can test 93 samples at a time. To improve the efficiency of the process, we propose to
purchase a Quantstudio 6 Pro thermal cycler, which can process 378 samples at a time. Sequencing of
SARS-Co-2-positive samples is an important component of disease surveillance. Sequencing allows for
identification of new variants and monitoring of variants of concern. The MVDL performs routine
sequencing for multiple viral pathogens, and could easily start sequencing SARS-CoV-2 if needed. The
MVDL has expertise sequencing viruses from a wide variety of specimens, some with low amounts of
DNA/RNA. The initial PCR amplification step performed as part of the sequencing process is currently
done with ABI 9700 GenAmp PCR instruments, which are old and do not have maintenance and repair
parts available anymore. Therefore, we propose to purchase a Proflex 96-well thermal cycler from Life
Technologies/Thermo Fisher. The addition of this instrument will add sequencing capacity to the lab so
SARS-CoV-2 sequencing can be performed in addition to the routine sequencing procedures currently
being run.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10599547
- **Project number:** 1U18FD007730-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Albert Rovira
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $89,694
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10599547

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10599547, COVID-19: Enhancing testing and sequencing capacity for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and other zoonotic viruses at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (1U18FD007730-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10599547. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*