{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,14]],"date-time":"2025-10-14T00:48:30Z","timestamp":1760402910263,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,2]],"date-time":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617321600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Public Sector Trial Scheme for the Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)","award":["(S\/E002\/19)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(S\/E002\/19)"]}]},{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Richard Yu and Carol Yu","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"May Tam Mak Mei Yin","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Michael Seak-Kan Tong","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Hui Ming","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Chan Yin Chuen Memorial Charitable Foundation","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Marina Man-Wai Lee","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"The Jessie &amp; George Ho Charitable Foundation","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]},{"name":"Kai Chong Tong","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR with pooled specimens has been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic as a cost- and manpower-saving strategy for large-scale testing. However, there is a paucity of data on the efficiency of different nucleic acid extraction platforms on pooled specimens. This study compared a novel automated high-throughput liquid-based RNA extraction (LRE) platform (PHASIFY\u2122) with a widely used magnetic bead-based total nucleic acid extraction (MBTE) platform (NucliSENS\u00ae easyMAG\u00ae). A total of 60 pools of nasopharyngeal swab and 60 pools of posterior oropharyngeal saliva specimens, each consisting of 1 SARS-CoV-2 positive and 9 SARS-CoV-2 negative specimens, were included for the comparison. Real-time RT-PCR targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp\/Hel gene was performed, and GAPDH RT-PCR was used to detect RT-PCR inhibitors. No significant differences were observed in the Ct values and overall RT-PCR positive rates between LRE and MBTE platforms (92.5% (111\/120] vs. 90% (108\/120]), but there was a slightly higher positive rate for LRE (88.3% (53\/60]) than MBTE (81.7% (49\/60]) among pooled saliva. The automated LRE method is comparable to a standard MBTE method for the detection of SAR-CoV-2 in pooled specimens, providing a suitable alternative automated extraction platform. Furthermore, LRE may be better suited for pooled saliva specimens due to more efficient removal of RT-PCR inhibitors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v13040615","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,2]],"date-time":"2021-04-02T10:34:09Z","timestamp":1617359649000},"page":"615","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Evaluation of an Automated High-Throughput Liquid-Based RNA Extraction Platform on Pooled Nasopharyngeal or Saliva Specimens for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Allen Wing-Ho","family":"Chu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cyril Chik-Yan","family":"Yip","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wan-Mui","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anthony Chin-Ki","family":"Ng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dream Lok-Sze","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ryan Ho-Ping","family":"Siu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cheuk Yiu Tenny","family":"Chung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jessica Pui-Ling","family":"Ng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Harsha","family":"Kittur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Garrett Lee","family":"Mosley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rosana Wing-Shan","family":"Poon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ricky Yin-To","family":"Chiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PHASE Scientific International Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kelvin Kai-Wang","family":"To","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"To, K.K.-W., Chan, W.-M., Ip, J.D., Chu, A.W.-H., Tam, A.R., Liu, R., Wu, A.K.-L., Lung, K.-C., Tsang, O.T.-Y., and Lau, D.P.-L. 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