Liu An, China, 13 May 2021 — Liu An, a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, has launched its second round of city-wide nucleic acid testing after new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported.
In response to the outbreak, MGI urgently deployed three container laboratories and two mobile nucleic acid testing vehicles to the city. The mobile platforms were mobilised from Fuyang People’s Hospital and Centres for Disease Control in Fuyang, Suzhou and Chuzhou to help expand local testing capacity.
Rapid Deployment to Support Outbreak Response
The mobile laboratories are equipped with MGI’s automated testing systems. After receiving the emergency request, six MGI engineers travelled immediately to Liu An to install and commission the equipment.
Thanks to continuous work from the engineering team, the laboratory began operating within just 12 hours of deployment.
With their high mobility, flexibility and rapid processing capabilities, MGI’s mobile laboratory platforms are designed to respond quickly to sudden outbreaks and urgent testing demands.
High-Capacity Mobile Testing Platform
“At present, we are working around the clock to keep the equipment operating at full capacity,” said Chen Xi, an engineer from MGI. “The laboratory can process nearly 20,000 samples per day using single-tube testing. Our team remains on site to resolve any issues at any time.”
In the early hours of the morning, MGI engineers continued working to maintain operations and ensure the laboratory remained fully functional during the large-scale testing effort.
Automated Systems Streamline Testing Workflow
The mobile laboratories are equipped with MGI’s MGISTP-7000 automated sample transfer processing system, the MGISP-960 high-throughput automated sample preparation system and the ZLIMS intelligent laboratory management system.
Together, these systems enable automated barcode scanning, information verification, sample dispatching, nucleic acid extraction and real-time monitoring across the entire testing workflow.
The automation simplifies laboratory operations and allows medical staff to quickly learn and manage the testing process.
Flexible Deployment for Emergency Testing
The mobile platforms can be easily transported to locations such as major railway stations, ports and residential communities, where they can be rapidly deployed to support hospitals, Centres for Disease Control and pathology laboratories conducting COVID-19 testing.
MGI engineers continue to support pandemic response efforts on the front line. Many have previously volunteered to assist during outbreaks in cities including Qingdao and Shijiazhuang.
Supporting Pandemic Response Across Multiple Cities
To date, MGI’s mobile laboratory platforms have supported COVID-19 response efforts in numerous cities across China, including Chengdu, Chongqing, Ganzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Lanzhou and Xi’an.
Through rapid deployment of mobile laboratories and advanced automation technologies, MGI continues to contribute to large-scale testing efforts and public health emergency response.
