All six laboratory analysts of the UPLB COVID-19 Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory hurdled the Proficiency Test for SARS-CoV-2 Detection by Real-Time PCR, which is the last and final stage of the assessment process of COVID-19 testing centers in the country.

This was announced by Dr. Rex Demafelis, vice chancellor for research and extension and chair of the UPLB Task Force Laban ng Bayan Kontra COVID-19 that Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. created on April 3, 2020 to establish the UPLB COVID-19 testing center.

The six laboratorians garnered a perfect score in tests on procedures covering nucleic acid extraction, reagent preparation, and real time RT-PCR of Multiple Targets.

The proficiency test was conducted by the Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Department of Health-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

The UPLB COVID-19 laboratorians had begun training in these procedures in May even as a team led by Dr. Marish S. Madlangbayan, vice chancellor for planning and development, supervised the retrofitting work on a  UPLB Biosafety Level-2 (BSL-2) laboratory into a COVID-19 testing center.

BSL-2 is the required level for diagnostic and healthcare laboratories and is prescribed by the World Health Organization for COVID-19 testing.

UPLB’s COVID-19 Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, which shall serve as a subnational testing center for Laguna and neighboring provinces, is located at the Agricultural and Life Sciences Complex. The laboratory is headed by Dr. Ma. Genaleen Q. Diaz.