Blog » Randox Laboratories partners with government on its programme for coronavirus testing

Randox Laboratories partners with government on its programme for coronavirus testing

26th May 2020

There’s no doubt that coronavirus is having a devastating effect across the globe. But here in Northern Ireland there’s a company making a real impact in the fight against COVID-19. And you can be part of it.

Randox Laboratories, in County Antrim, has partnered with the government on its programme for coronavirus testing across Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.

The programme, which in its first few weeks was focused primarily on staff working within the NHS, and then on key workers, is now available to anyone living across the UK who has symptoms of coronavirus.

Randox are therefore providing high volume sample collection kits for home testing, drive through testing sites, and care homes, and subsequently conducting the laboratory testing of these samples in its laboratories at the Randox Science Park in Antrim.

It’s an enormous task, but one that Randox is well-equipped to handle. In 2019, Randox manufactured over 3 billion tests and exported to 145 countries. Its new headquarters, the result of a £161 million investment, houses state-of-the-art laboratories and the latest innovations in health diagnostic technology.

The company stepped up to support the government’s testing programme without hesitation.

Across the COVID-19 testing process, a multi-disciplinary team work collaboratively and assiduously to provide optimal support to the national response to COVID-19.

It begins with the production of Randox’s Biochip, a patented testing technology which can run multiple diagnostic tests simultaneously.

Upon identifying the latest strain of coronavirus as a significant global threat, and by drawing on almost 40 years of experience as a world-leading diagnostics company, Randox developed a new Biochip for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in a greatly accelerated time frame of just two weeks. The new Randox Biochip processes two coronavirus tests simultaneously – one specific and one confirmatory – as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The firm’s team of talented scientists continue to develop these COVID-19 Biochips on an unparalleled scale, in preparation for distribution across the UK.

Meanwhile, a fast-paced manufacturing team compile and pack a high volume of sample collection kits, whilst specialist engineers design and build the coronavirus testing platforms used to conduct the tests when they arrive back to the laboratory.

The company recently announced it would be hiring 160 mechanical, electrical and manufacturing engineers to work on the fast-tracked development of newly designed molecular analysers used to detect the presence of COVID-19.

And Randox is also recruiting for positions in Manufacturing and Science, and in particular scientists who have experience in a diagnostic laboratory, in support of its role within the government testing programme for COVID-19.

These scientists will be exposed to molecular testing techniques including DNA extraction, PCR techniques and Biochip technology, in order to process samples sent back for testing.

Everyone at Randox has a vital role to play in the practical application of COVID-19 testing.  For Scientists, Engineers and those with experience in Manufacturing, Randox’s recruitment drive is a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the fight against COVID-19.  Successful applicants will contribute directly both to saving lives and assisting the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To find out more about the positions available for Randox’s COVID-19 testing project, visit Randox Careers.

You can apply for jobs at Randox on nijobfinder.

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