Molecular Diagnostics Lab in Milford, Connecticut Announces SARS CoV-2 Detection Test Including Variants This routine DNA sequence electropherogram covering the ACE2 receptor binding domain shows 7 vertical black bars from left to right, pointing to 7 key nucleotides identified as A, G, T, G, A, T and A in the S gene of SARS-CoV-2 in a nasopharyngeal swab specimen taken from a patient with acute respiratory infection. The nucleotide A pointed by the 5th bar is a mutated base, indicating an E484K amino acid mutation (G>A nucleotide mutation). All other 6 black bars point to wildtype bases, confirming the lack of K417N, K417T, L452R, S477N, E484Q, S494P and N501Y mutations in this virus isolate. All known newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern are associated with at least one of the 8 amino acid mutations identified in this sequence. Specimens harboring any of these 8 amino acid mutations will be further sequenced for A67V, Δ69/70, T95I, Δ144Y, Y145del, H146del, W152C and V1176F mutations for B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.427, B.1.429, B.1.525, B.1.526, B.1.617, B.1.168, P.1 and P.2 variant differentiation. Timely recognition of B.1.617 and B.1.168 is especially important in view of the recent rising number of these two variants reported in India, said Dr. Sin Hang Lee, director of Milford Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. (Photo: Business Wire)