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Concha y Toro provides its research laboratory to process COVID-19 diagnostic tests

Wed 29 Apr 2020

Concha y Toro provides its research laboratory to process COVID-19 diagnostic tests

In response to the complex health crisis in Chile and the rest of the world, Viña Concha y Toro announced two major initiatives included in its contribution to the Private Emergency Health Fund led by Chile’s Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC).

The molecular biology laboratory run by Viña Concha y Toro’s Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI) near Talca has been certified by Universidad Católica del Maule's (UCM) Biomedical Research Laboratory to operate under the supervision of the Maule Region Health Service to carry out diagnostic tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 as part of a network of laboratories connected by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.

The capabilities of the CRI’s molecular biology laboratory include process robotization and automation, with use of the Hamilton Microlab STARLet robotic pipettor, among other devices, which enables 2,300 samples per day to be processed, and a qPCR Thermofisher QuantStudio 5 with a diagnostic capacity of 768 samples per day.

“We want to collaborate with our capabilities to overcome this health crisis, supporting prevention and early diagnosis. As part of our contribution to the Private Emergency Health Fund, together with the donation of hand sanitizer to health authorities, we have also made our cutting-edge technological equipment and team of professionals at the Centre for Research and Innovation available to them”, said Eduardo Guilisasti, CEO of Viña Concha y Toro.

Gerard Casaubon, Director of Viña Concha y Toro's Centre for Research and Innovation, says

“In times of crisis, this type of collaboration reaffirms the value of public-private-academic partnerships in their deepest sense, which ultimately aims to achieve common good and prosperity for our country. I would like to thank the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, UCM and our employees for making this possible.”

In addition to the above, Viña Concha y Toro is donating a total of 50,000 litres of hand sanitizer to health authorities in different formats, enabling them to be provided to people and organizations who so require, including the COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories network, Ministry of Health networks and communities. This includes 10,000 litres which is being produced by Viña Concha y Toro’s Lontué Plant and delivered for local distribution.

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