More than 400 jobs have been created at a new Covid-19 test lab which hopes to be processing up to 50,000 samples a day by early next year.
The new facility will play a part in the Government’s plan to speed up its test and trace programme as it continues to try to get a hold of the pandemic.
The new lab, which will operate around the clock, is on the Charnwood biomedical campus, in Loughborough.
The campus was originally built for AstraZeneca – which is a partner in one of the new Covid-19 vaccines – but which vacated the site almost a decade ago.
Global diagnostics company PerkinElmer, which is operating the lab, said the jobs include scientists, researchers, technicians and operations personnel.
It said it hoped the lab would help graduates and people taking up jobs in the life sciences to start their careers at the “forefront” of the 海角视频’s national testing programme.
Similar privately operated sites are already running in Milton Keynes, Cheshire, Glasgow, Cambridge and Newport, with additional Lighthouse Laboratories coming online in Newcastle, Berkshire and Plymouth, which will be operated by NHS trusts.
The new Loughborough lab has been equipped, staffed, and managed using PerkinElmer’s COVID-19 kits, diagnostic equipment, and other technology.
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Miles Burrows, PerkinElmer’s managing director for the 海角视频 & Ireland, said: “PerkinElmer’s ability to draw on expertise from our operations across the globe has enabled us to rapidly build a facility that will apply our best-in-class technologies to efficiently test individuals and identify those carrying the virus.
“In addition to assisting the DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care) to ramp up the nation’s testing capacity, this lab has created hundreds of new jobs locally.
“This has allowed us to develop and deploy a team who are ready to play such an essential role in managing this pandemic.”
Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “I am delighted the new Lighthouse Lab in Charnwood is now up and running.
“The lab is part of Britain’s largest ever network of diagnostic testing facilities and will support our strategy to stop the spread of the virus by helping us boost testing capacity and speed-up turnaround times.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in the Charnwood lab who will play such an integral role in helping people get their test results as quickly as possible.
“The sooner test results are received, the sooner we can take swift action to trace the contacts of those people who test positive, and the sooner those who test negative can get back to normal life.”
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Baroness Dido Harding, Interim executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “Charnwood Lighthouse Lab is an important part of our growing network of labs that are working together to extend and improve testing across the whole country.”
In addition to creating and operating facilities for the Lighthouse Lab network, PerkinElmer also supplies testing capabilities, equipment and reagents to NHS Trusts across the 海角视频.
Charnwood Campus director Gosia Khrais said: “I would like to welcome Department of Health and Social Care and PerkinElmer as new occupiers on the site.
“The addition of the DHSC and PerkinElmer to the stronghold of science-driven organizations here is fantastic news for Charnwood and our local economy.
“It would not have happened without an effort of a number of stakeholders, our local council and MP, as well as of the committed design and construction team that delivered this fast-paced project on time.”