From https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/real-time-rt-pcr-assays-for-the-detection-of-sars-cov-2-institut-pasteur-paris.pdf?sfvrsn=3662fcb6_2
Thank you, Craig, but we are not looking for protocols. What we need are proper positive controls (real samples tested positive, not synthetic controls) to run those protocols.
Best,
It will probably safe to assume that the testing facilities will not be allowed to share these in the near future and that eventually you can set up a clinical trial and have all of the ethical paperwork to be working on human biological samples from donors who have given consent.
There are multiple companies (IDT etc.) who offer plasmids to be used as positive control for cDNA. You could, of course, order a custom RNA or DNA oligo corresponding to the sequence you want to amplify from custom mRNA and oligo companies.
Clearly, it would be great for a lot of people creating new tests etc. to have access to real samples, but the ethical and safety concerns will make this complicated.
Thanks, Mark. Yes, we have been facing all those hurdles, but FDA is relaxing the criteria and we could work with samples with no link to the donor or that could be pooled. I was expecting this process to be faster, given the pandemics.
We're using IDT's synthetic controls, but these don't allow us to freely test primers, they only cover parts of the genome. Btw, I found a company selling synthetic RNA covering the entire genome. It's not perfect because of the breakpoints (they do it from 5-6 in vitro transcribed DNA fragments), but it seems to be the best synthetic control around.
https://synbiobeta.com/twist-bioscience-announces-availability-of-synthetic-sars-cov-2-rna-controls/
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