Scientists on Standby Portal Launched to Support the Recruitment of Overflow Resource for the Testing of COVID-19

Scientists on Standby has been rapidly conceptualised and launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis and in anticipation of the increasing pressure on UK diagnostic testing laboratories and facilities in the coming weeks and months. The portal enables scientists with relevant skills and experience to volunteer their time, expertise and support for COVID-19 screening and testing.

Scientists on Standby, developed by specialist Life Science marketing agency BioStrata, is looking for qualified scientists specialising in reverse transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rt-PCR), immunoassays and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). The portal will provide government bodies and diagnostic testing laboratories with a database of UK-based volunteers, grouped by location for easy regional allocation, who have the capacity to offer their expertise and experience to help in the fight against COVID-19.

"During this unprecedented time, we have seen incredible dedication, collaboration and innovation within our industry. Many organisations and teams are coming together to overcome the medical and logistical challenges presented by COVID-19," said Clare Russell PhD, co-founder and Managing Director of BioStrata. "Within our team, we have a number of ex-researchers and clinical scientists and we were keen to find a way that we could contribute and make a difference. On consultation with industry partners and colleagues, we felt that Scientists on Standby was a resource that would be required and welcomed."

In an effort to help battle this pandemic, the life science industry has rallied together to develop, produce and supply more testing kits and reagents. These will be needed so that healthcare providers and government bodies can test a large proportion of the population and better understand how COVID-19 is spreading. Such widespread testing will be an essential tool for managing the risks posed by the disease and saving lives, as well as directing government policy on the release of social isolation initiatives. However, this rapid surge in testing demand will likely leave a gap in terms of the qualified resource able to process samples and run assays over the coming weeks and months.

"We predict that the industry could soon be in need of experienced scientists who could help with COVID-19 screening and test processing, to increase the volume of diagnostic testing being performed," added Paul Avery PhD, co-founder and Managing Director of BioStrata. "An expanded testing capacity will enable the rapid screening of both diseased people and those who have been exposed to the virus but remain asymptomatic, essentially containing the spread of COVID-19. In many ways, we hope that we won’t need to request the help of those on the standby list – but we’d rather have one and not need it than the other way around."

To add your name to the growing list of volunteers at Scientists on Standby, please visit:
https://www.scientistsonstandby.com

About BioStrata

BioStrata is a specialist marketing agency working in the life science sector. Founded by Paul Avery PhD and Clare Russell PhD in 2014, the company’s growing team with offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (US) includes a significant number of people with deep scientific experience and knowledge, such as PhD-qualified scientists and others who spent time in laboratories at the start of their careers. BioStrata is a fully integrated agency offering strategy, branding and message development through to content creation, creative services, digital marketing and public relations. Current clients include companies working in life science research tools, diagnostics, lab automation, biotechnology, drug discovery and pharmaceutical sectors. www.biostratamarketing.com.

Most Popular Now

AI-Powered CRISPR could Lead to Faster G…

Stanford Medicine researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help scientists better plan gene-editing experiments. The technology, CRISPR-GPT, acts as a gene-editing “copilot” supported by AI to help...

Groundbreaking AI Aims to Speed Lifesavi…

To solve a problem, we have to see it clearly. Whether it’s an infection by a novel virus or memory-stealing plaques forming in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, visualizing disease processes...

ChatGPT 4o Therapeutic Chatbot 'Ama…

One of the first randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of a large language model (LLM) chatbot 'Amanda' for relationship support shows that a single session of chatbot therapy...

AI Tools Help Predict Severe Asthma Risk…

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) tools that help identify which children with asthma face the highest risk of serious asthma exacerbation and acute respiratory infections. The study...

AI Distinguishes Glioblastoma from Look-…

A Harvard Medical School–led research team has developed an AI tool that can reliably tell apart two look-alike cancers found in the brain but with different origins, behaviors, and treatments. The...

AI Model Forecasts Disease Risk Decades …

Imagine a future where your medical history could help predict what health conditions you might face in the next two decades. Researchers have developed a generative AI model that uses...

Smart Device Uses AI and Bioelectronics …

As a wound heals, it goes through several stages: clotting to stop bleeding, immune system response, scabbing, and scarring. A wearable device called "a-Heal," designed by engineers at the University...

Overcoming the AI Applicability Crisis a…

Opinion Article by Harry Lykostratis, Chief Executive, Open Medical. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan makes a lot of the potential of AI-software to support clinical decision making, improve productivity, and...

AI Model Indicates Four out of Ten Breas…

A project at Lund University in Sweden has trained an AI model to identify breast cancer patients who could be spared from axillary surgery. The model analyses previously unutilised information...

Dartford and Gravesham Implements Clinis…

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has taken a significant step towards a more digital future by rolling out electronic test ordering using Clinisys ICE. The trust deployed the order communications...