Share this article Share this article NEWPORT, Ky., April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethos Laboratories®, a national leader in laboratory testing, has announced a strategic partnership with Agena® Biosciences which will leverage Agena's innovative MassARRAY MALDI-TOF platform for high throughput SARS-CoV-2 variant detection. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have traditionally been employed for variant detection but due to high cost, low sample throughput and the need for extensive bioinformatics, these platforms are not well suited to high throughput testing. Given these shortcomings, scientific leadership at Ethos Laboratories began the search for alternative technologies that would facilitate high throughput variant detection that would fit with standard laboratory workflows, minimize cost, and ensure rapid testing turnaround times. After extensive review of available technologies, Ethos Laboratories selected the MassARRAY SARS-CoV-2 Variant Panel developed by Agena Biosciences which offers a low-cost, high-throughput and rapid solution for the detection of 20 unique SARS-CoV-2 genetic markers. All genetic markers in the Agena panel are spike protein mutations of concern and facilitate the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan, UK, South African, Brazil, Cluster 5 Mink and D614G variants.