Member Article

AlphaBiolabs takes new lab space for Covid-19 testing

AlphaBiolabs is expanding to meet growing demand for its Covid-19 PCR testing services by opening two new laboratories.

The company is recruiting a team of 12 scientists who will be based at the Sci-Tech Daresbury science and innovation campus in Cheshire.

Warrington-based AlphaBiolabs is initially investing £520,000 in instrumentation and other equipment for the new labs, with the figure due to rise to more than £2.5m over the next 12 months as it ramps up its Covid-19 PCR testing service.

Its investment will enable the company to test 2,000 samples a day initially, rising to more than 5,000 as the team grows.

The labs, which are equipped to biosafety level two standard, are housed at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory at Sci-Tech Daresbury.

Daresbury Laboratory is at the heart of Sci-Tech Daresbury, a nationally-recognised community of hi-tech business and innovation.

David Thomas, managing director of AlphaBiolabs, said the new labs will enable the company to keep pace with demand for its workplace Covid-19 PCR and antibody testing service for businesses across the UK and internationally.

Scientists will analyse swab samples taken from the nose and throat using a government-approved methodology to detect the presence of the Covid-19 virus.

David said: “Sci-Tech Daresbury has a reputation for being an internationally-renowned centre of excellence in the fields of science and innovation, so it is the ideal location for our expansion.

“There is currently insufficient Covid-19 testing capacity in the UK to enable employers to rapidly test their staff to ensure they have a smooth transition back to the workplace in a Covid-safe manner.

“We believe there is a realistic prospect of Covid-19 infections increasing throughout the winter months, and therefore will see increasing demand for testing to keep workplaces safe.

“The key to our ongoing success is our heavy investment in our facilities and team to ensure we can deliver the best possible service for customers at the time they need it most. This expansion at Sci-Tech Daresbury marks another key phase in the company’s development.

“The new laboratories will help us achieve our goals while also helping to keep Britain PLC on the move during this difficult period.”

Delyth Edwards, business incubation programmes manager at STFC, said: “It’s really exciting to welcome AlphaBiolabs to Daresbury Laboratory. It’s our mission to provide the correct environment for innovation and success and it’s fantastic to help businesses located here to go from strength to strength.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by AlphaBiolabs .