International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
On Saturday 11th February, we are celebrating International day of Women and girls in Science! This day is an opportunity to celebrate and promote equal access to science for women and girls.
Ahead of the 11th, we have interviewed five influential Women who fulfil STEM based roles across Randox Laboratories. They have shared their experiences and thoughts on Women and girls in the science industry.
Our first interview is with Head of technical Services- Louise Lynn.
Why did you pursue a career in STEM?
I enjoyed science at school and it was an easy decision to continue science through to A-level. I went on to study Biochemistry at Queens University, Belfast and during my time there I heard about Randox. I applied for various jobs when I graduated, but Randox interested me the most and was most applicable for my degree.
What is your role in Randox and how long have you worked in the company for?
I am currently Head of Technical Services in Randox, overseeing the Global Technical Support and Applications Teams.
I have been working in Randox for almost 25 years! I started in the R&D lab during the development of our Liquid Enzyme reagents, and quickly moved into Technical Support. I have held various roles within Technical Support over the years and have seen many changes in that time. As a department we support the Randox Clinical products, dealing with enquiries, complaints and troubleshooting, as well as customer training. No two days are the same.
I enjoy dealing directly with the customers and building those relationships. Working in Technical Support has given me the opportunity to travel and visit labs globally which has been very interesting and allows you to see our products in use and is always a reminder that ultimately there is a patient depending on our products to manage their health.
During the pandemic I was also involved in setting up the Covid Customer Support Team which was one of the most challenging times in my career, but also a very positive experience.
What change have you seen for women in science over the years?
During my time at university and throughout my career I have worked alongside many females, however I have seen an increase in female engineers over more recent years, which is great to see in one of the more male dominated sectors of the business.
Have you found it harder or any different going into your career in science as a woman?
Throughout my career at Randox I have had both male and female managers. We have been very fortunate that everyone is given an equal opportunity within the company and we have always had females in senior management positions. At no stage in my career have I found being a female has caused me to struggle or consider changing my career path. I was also given flexibility when my children were young, but this did not prevent me from progressing my career once I was ready to do so again.
How do you think we can encourage more women to go into the science industry?
Female scientists and engineers going into schools and talking about what they do. Many young people don’t know what they want to do and getting their attention at an early age and hearing real life career stories first hand can have a huge impact.
If you have one piece of advice as a woman starting out the STEM industry, what would it be?
Decide what you want to do and have confidence in yourself that you can do it, even if it is in a male dominated sector. You will make mistakes, but that is science, learn from them and move on.
For more information, please contact Market@randox.com
MAB9960
Celebrating World Antimicrobial Awareness week!
It’s World Antimicrobial Awareness week!
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites resist the effects of medications, making common infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.
Randox want to take part in the global campaign that is celebrated annually to improve awareness and understanding of Antimicrobial. We have interviewed one of our Molecular specialists, Dr Dwaine Vance on how our revolutionary Randox products aid in the fight against AMR.
We are urging the public to help raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance. Randox is committed to the ongoing development of products and services as well as our research into numerous disease areas to improve health worldwide.
To find out more, visit- www.randox.com or email us- market@randox.com
Randox Supports Family Business Week 21st-25th November 2022
Randox Supports Family Business Week 21st-25th November 2022
The theme for Family Business Week 2022 is ‘Celebrating Our Place in the World’. It will highlight the central role family firms play in shaping and supporting their local communities, economy and natural environment. The campaign is led by the IFB, the voice of the UK’s family business sector and supported by NatWest.
In honour of this week, Randox would like to share our family business history:
In April 1982, Randox Laboratories was founded by Dr Peter Fitzgerald from a converted chicken house off Randox Road, near Crumlin in Antrim, where he had grown up.
FitzGerald started out using equipment discarded by university research labs but, through decades of hard work and innovation, slowly built the company into a market leader. Randox Laboratories is now the largest diagnostics company from the UK with over 40 years of experience operating in over 145 countries.
The Covid-19 pandemic saw Randox Laboratories on the front line for testing for the Covid-19 virus across the UK and Ireland. After downloading the virus genetic sequence in January 2020, Randox were able to quickly develop a test. This meant that by March 2020, Randox were provided with a contract by Public Health England to test as part of the National Testing Program.
After investing in 78,000 sq ft of laboratory testing space and hiring additional staff, Randox were able to process over 25million PCR tests as part of the National Testing Program as well as private testing allowing a return to work and travel.
Expanding into the travel market and providing an essential service to people to travel to see loved ones after years in isolation. There was a realisation that the future landscape for healthcare has changed forever. People have become used to testing themselves. People want to know the status of their health and are actively taking control of their health and wellbeing.
Randox Health has recently made significant investment to deliver our preventative, personalised testing packages across the nation and are opening up to 25 Randox Health clinics in the short term – In England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Randox Health clinics focus on the provision of cost-effective, timely and accurate testing to identify risk to health, improve clinical diagnoses and promote preventative healthcare. Our aim is to improve and save lives through early detection of disease.
The growing network of clinics provide easy access for millions of people to a new Randox range of diagnostic tests, including for cancer, vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, allergies and key health concerns including heart, liver, and kidney conditions. Real time insights on current and future health risks are provided to empower clients to make simple dietary and lifestyle changes giving them the power to extend their lives.
Randox clinics also offer a new range of comprehensive diagnostic programmes, including the ‘EveryMan’ and ‘EveryWoman’ 12-month programmes/full body ‘MOTs’. These enable up to 150 data points linked to key health areas to be measured during each visit with a personalised health plan summarising results provided. Repeat tests and consultation will be arranged six months after the initial test, included in the testing programme prices, which start at £295 per person.
Randox Win IT Team or Department of the Year at the 2022 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards
Randox would like to congratulate the IT Department on their Belfast Telegraph IT Awards Win!
The Randox IT department were delighted to win the IT Team or Department of the Year award sponsored by Continu. Described as the ‘clear winner’ by Belfast Telegraph, Randox IT won the award due to their hard work and dedication during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The awards took place on Friday at the MAC Theatre in Belfast and was hosted by comedian Neil Delamere. Northern Ireland’s incredible IT industry was showcased displaying their great achievements and their significant, positive impact on the local economy.
In the past 12 months, Randox IT department transformed the cutting-edge systems and facilities created during the pandemic to allow customers to take control of their health through preventative testing. Randox IT were very much at the forefront of innovation and continued to develop and enhance our offerings, processing 27 million covid results in total. Furthermore, expanding into the travel market and providing an essential service to people who could finally travel to see loved ones after years in isolation.
The team’s disruptive approach to development has allowed Randox to respond quickly in an ever-evolving situation and introduce a full end-to-end testing process facilitating multiple key stages such as, logistics, registration, accessioning, sample processing and results reporting.
At the beginning of 2022, there was a realization that the future landscape for healthcare has changed forever. People want to know the status of their health and are actively taking control of their health and wellbeing. Through these innovate solutions developed by Randox IT in the fight against covid, the team have focused on the future vision of healthcare and developed solutions for customers to test themselves, in clinic or at home, for areas such as heart health, Thyroid health, STI, Vit and Minerals as well as our most popular packages of Everyman, Everywomen, Signature, Every Athlete.
This has only been possible due to the dedication and expertise of the IT team who released a new version of the Randox Health customer platform, which provides each customer with a customized view of their health. Customers have key insights to their health data allowing them to track their health.
Celebrating World Diabetes Day 2022!
Celebrating World Diabetes Day, 14th November 2022!
Diabetes is a serious medical condition that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to become too high. This can cause complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney problems or nerve damage if not treated.
Although there is no cure for Diabetes, the condition can be controlled and monitored.
There are three main types of diabetes, type one, type two and gestational diabetes. The former two are lifelong and can cause life threatening complications if not monitored effectively.
Type one diabetes is when the body can’t make insulin, which is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction. In the UK, around 8% of the population have type one.
Type two diabetes is generally caused from lifestyle, when the pancreas doesn’t work properly and can’t keep your blood sugar levels from rising. Type two represents around 90% of people with diabetes in the UK.
Gestational diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes that appears in pregnancy, characterised by high blood sugar due to the hormones produced in pregnancy. In the UK, around 5% of pregnant women are diagnosed every year.
Globally, Diabetes affects more than 415 million people, with type 2 being the most common.
People with T1D have an estimated 50% risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease over their lifetime. CKD can progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. Taking a personalized approach to kidney disease screening for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may reduce the time that chronic kidney disease (CKD) goes undetected, according to a new analysis performed by the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study group.
World Diabetes Day aims to increase visibility around the condition and can help sufferers feel less alone. Charities such as Diabetes UK also use the day to help promote awareness and information around the condition to help get people diagnosed earlier through campaigns such as #RewriteTheStory.
Randox reagents cover a spectrum of laboratory testing which can help monitor Diabetes and the effectiveness of management. This can help prevent serious complications which can become life threatening.
Diagnosis and Monitoring
Fructosamine (Glycated Protein) has been identified as an early indicator of diabetic control compared to other markers such as HbA1c. HbA1c represents the average blood glucose levels for the previous 2-3 months, conversely fructosamine reflects average blood glucose levels of the previous 2-3 weeks. HbA1c levels may also be impacted by genetic, haematological and disease-related factors. The enzymatic Fructosamine method also offers improved specificity and reliability compared to conventional NBT-based methods and does not suffer from non-specific interferences unlike other commercially available Fructosamine assays.
Complications Monitoring – Ketoacidosis
D-3-Hydroxybutyrate (Ranbut) is the most sensitive ketone for the diagnosis of ketosis, in particular diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) , because it represents approximately 80% of ketones present in blood during DKA. The nitroprusside method commonly used in semi-quantitative dipstick tests only detects acetone and acetoacetate making it less accurate.
Complications Monitoring – Renal Dysfunction
Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to very small changes in GFR and has been identified as a strong predictor of clinical outcomes associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cystatin C doesn’t have a ‘blind area’ like creatinine. Up to 50% of renal function may be lost before significant creatinine elevation occurs. NICE guidelines recommend cystatin C testing due to its higher specificity for significant disease outcomes.
To find out more visit: https://www.randox.com/diabetes-reagents/
Or email us at: reagents@randox.com
Rapid MG, MH, UP/UU Testing Now Available on Vivalytic
Introducing MG, MH, UP/UU Testing to Vivalytic
Aiding the rapid diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and immediate decision making at the point of care, the Vivalytic portfolio of tests has now expanded to complement current comprehensive screening for STI’s, introducing rapid screening for Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Mycoplasma hominis (MH) & Ureaplasma parvum (UP)/urealyticum (UU) in 1 hour.
What are MG, MH, UP/UU pathogens?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 30 different bacterial species, viruses and parasites have been identified to be involved in the spread of STIs. Mycoplasmas in particular belong to the group of human pathogenic bacterial species with many risk associations particularly on the female reproductive system.1 Studies have also found that UU and MH are implicated in prematurity-linked conditions 2. UP & UU bacterium again are implicated to have adverse implications for both men & women. They affect up to 70% of sexually active couples and exist mostly in an asymptomatic state. If left untreated, UP & UU may be associated with infertility and other risk associations such as meningitis and pneumonia. 3
Why test MG, MH, UP/UU on Vivalytic?
Current diagnostic cultivation methods for screening can take up to three days for MH, UP and UU or even 6 months, with the introduction of these STI pathogens to the Vivalytic, quick, accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment decisions can be made at the point of care , before symptoms worsen, or any long-term implications occurs to the patient. In a world where over 1 million STIs are acquired daily 5, a quick and efficient process that allows for almost immediate results can improve operations considerably.
The push to encourage individuals to test themselves regularly before engaging in sexual activities with a new partner is becoming more and more widespread. The Vivalytic, as a portable point of care device, designed to suit a range of environments such as Doctors’ offices or GUM/ Sexual Health Clinic, can provide a screening immediately, minimising the stress and uncertainty a patient may experience whilst waiting for a result to receive the relevant treatments if needed. The Vivalytic’s speed not only provides reliable and precise diagnoses, but also plays a role in fighting the spread of STIs and minimising hospitalisations that may arise from complications from undetected sexually transmitted pathogens.
Features and Benefits
- By using a single cartridge, the Vivalytic MG, MH, UP/UU test detects and differentiates between pathogens of the Mycoplasmataceae family
- Detection Method: Real-Time PCR
- Result Time: 1 hour
- Sample Volume: 300μl Clinical Sample
- Sample Type: Swab (Urethral, Vaginal, Cervical, Rectal), Urine
| DETECTABLE PATHOGENS |
|
What makes this possible?
Making this happen, The MG, MH, UP/UU rapid test on Vivalytic by Bosch, a point of care platform brought to the market by Randox Laboratories. The Vivalytic system is a fully automated, cartridge-based platform capable of both Hi-Plex and Lo-Plex infectious disease testing. Each easy-to-use cartridge contains all necessary reagents, is fully sealed to minimise risk and can be conveniently stored at room temperature.
Making a point to care, the Vivalytic also provides a comprehensive sexual health profile of 10 bacterial, viral, and protozoan infections with a rapid turnaround time of just 2 hours from sample entry to result. Designed to offer a complete sexual health profile with an aim of prevention and control, the Vivalytic STI array can be used to diagnose existing infections whilst any identifying co-infections.
The Vivalytic consolidates the full molecular workflow into a small benchtop platform, capable of extraction, PCR amplification and detection. It follows an easy 4 step process from sample entry to results and with the gold standard PCR testing. With most up to date technology, the Vivalytic has wireless connectivity, with no peripherals required, making a unique space saving and hygienic solution. Handling and utilisation are simple and medical professionals require only minimal training.
For more information on the Vivalytic, why not visit our webpage: https://www.randox.com/vivalytic-molecular-point-of-care/
For more information on our new MG, MH, UP/UU test, please contact market@randox.com
References:
- Mardh P. A., Westrom L., von Mecklenburg C., Hammar E. Studies on ciliated epithelia of the human genital tract. I. Swelling of the cilia of Fallopian tube epithelium in organ cultures infected with Mycoplasma hominis. The British Journal of Venereal Diseases. 1976;52(1):52–57.
- Viscardi R. M. Ureaplasmaspecies: role in neonatal morbidities and outcomes. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2014;99(1):F87–F92.
- World Health Organization. “Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).” int, World Health Organization: WHO, 22 Nov. 2021, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis).
Want to know more about Randox?
Contact us or visit our homepage to view more.
Randox would like to Congratulate Eileen Nixon on her Retirement
Randox would like to congratulate Eileen Nixon on her retirement!
Eileen has been a valuable member of Randox for 32 years beginning her career here in November 1990. She describes how remarkable the growth of Randox has been. From a smaller scale business back in 1990 to now the largest diagnostics company from the UK.
On Thursday morning, we celebrated Eileen’s achievements and fond memories during her time in our Manufacturing Division, within the Packing Team. The room was filled with Eileen’s colleagues, many of whom had worked with Eileen for well over 20 years. Eileen has been a great member of the Randox team and will be sorely missed.
We wish Eileen good health and every happiness for her retirement.
ABOUT RANDOX
NEWS
VACANCIES
OUR PEOPLE
Randox collaborate with Verv Technologies to Improve Health for All
Randox Laboratories, the largest diagnostics company from the UK, are proud to announce a $3.8m CAD seed round with Verv Technologies.
Randox Laboratories are the lead investor for Verv Technologies, who are focused on creating the first of its kind consumer-oriented, affordable, high-quality blood chemistry analyser with disposable tests for home use, that will help individuals measure a wide range of analytes (i.e., cholesterol, vitamin levels, hormones). With over 40 years of diagnostic experience, Randox Laboratories are focused on investment into technologies to improve health for all.
Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, Managing Director of Randox Laboratories shared, “Randox has a global lens on the development of new technologies. We have a shared vision and belief in Verv’s unique, highly differentiated microfluidics approach to creating scalable, high-quality, low-cost blood testing technology for healthcare consumers. We anticipate a great journey ahead, in partnership with Verv.
Jeff Sutton, Founder and President of Verv Technologies describes, “We are thrilled to have Randox as a major investor in Verv to help propel us to commercial readiness and the opportunity to work with the original Founder and Managing Director of Randox, Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, who will join Verv’s Board of Directors. We aim to create great value for health-conscious consumers.”
Randox and Verve share a commitment to transform testing on a global scale for the benefit of healthcare consumers.
ABOUT RANDOX
NEWS
VACANCIES
OUR PEOPLE
Rapid PCR MRSA/SA testing now available on Vivalytic
Rapid PCR MRSA/SA testing now available on Vivalytic
Providing a quick diagnosis of methicillin resistant at the point of the care, the latest addition to the Vivalytic portfolio of tests, not only provides rapid RT-PCR results in 53 minutes but differentiates whether the bacterial strain is methicillin-resistant (MRSA) or methicillin-sensitive (MSAA) which promotes targeted therapy.
MRSA is a major multi-resistant nosocomial pathogen worldwide with the WHO estimating that the mortality rate of patient infection rates is around 50% higher compared with patients who have been infected by non-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.1 Moreover, the extensive period of hospitalisation, morbidity, and the associated medical costs increase significantly with an MRSA infection.2
Introducing MRSA to the vivalytic portfolio can provide high quality answers, anywhere and anytime improving patient pathways and the need for care. Significantly, introducing rapid MRSA screening at both ward level, emergency settings and before hospital elective surgery procedures allow for an effective response to identifying whether the bacteria strain is methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) or -resistant.
Making a point to care, the rapid essence and speed of Vivalytic not only showcase technology but the ability to contribute to current health risks by preventing contamination, breaking the chain of infection, and again fighting the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) & superbugs.
The treatment on the front line today looks at increasing empirical antibiotic prescribing and increasing drug-resistant outbreaks. AMR is growing rapidly, with superbugs threatening the ability to treat common infectious diseases appropriately. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated concerns over AMR and antibiotic-associated adverse events, with surges in antibiotic prescribing, hospitalisations, and drug-resistant bacterial transmissions.
Speed is key here – since the result of diagnostics with culture sampling, which is the current traditional method for MRSA testing is only available after one to three days, this PCR test for the point of care is ideal as an additional tool when speed is of the essence.
Few points to note about the current Vivalytic panel for MRSA/SA detection:
- By using one single cartridge, the Vivalytic MRSA/SA test detects and differentiates between MRSA and MSSA DNA to aid in the diagnosis of MRSA infection in a speedy manner so that appropriate antibiotic treatment can be applied, and complications prevented.
- Detection Method: Real-Time PCR
- Result Time: 53 minutes
- Sample Volume: 600 μl
- Sample Type: Nasal- or oropharyngeal swab sample
| DETECTABLE DNA PATHOGENS: | SPECIFIC GENE TARGETS: |
|---|---|
| Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) | SCCmec/orfX junction |
| Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) | mecA/ mecC, SA422 |
Making this happen, The MRSA/SA rapid test on Vivalytic by Bosch, a point of care platform brought to the market by Randox Laboratories. The Vivalytic system is a fully automated, cartridge-based platform capable of both Hi-Plex and Lo-Plex infectious disease testing. Each easy-to-use cartridge contains all necessary reagents, is fully-sealed to minimise risk and can be conveniently stored at room temperature.
The Vivalytic consolidates the full molecular workflow into a small benchtop platform, capable of extraction, PCR amplification and detection. It follows an easy 4 step process from sample entry to results and with the gold standard PCR testing. With most up to date technology, the Vivalytic has wireless connectivity, with no peripherals required, making a unique space saving and hygienic solution. Handling and utilisation are simple and medical professionals require only minimal training.
For more information on the Vivalytic, why not visit our webpage- https://www.randox.com/vivalytic-molecular-point-of-care/
For more information on our new MRSA test, please contact market@randox.com