Ruili, China, 11 April 2021 — The city of Ruili in Yunnan Province, southwest China, has launched its third round of city-wide nucleic acid testing following a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
In response to the outbreak, MGI urgently deployed three container laboratories from Chengdu, Menglian and Wuhan to Ruili to help expand the city’s testing capacity.
Rapid Deployment of Mobile Testing Laboratories
MGI engineers worked overnight to install and commission the equipment to ensure testing operations could begin as quickly as possible.
“The laboratory started operating at 4 am on 12 April, thanks to the efforts of MGI engineers who worked around the clock to keep the facility running,” said Yang Hailong, an employee of MGI.
Container Lab Operational at 4 a.m. on 12 April
The three container laboratories can collectively process up to 12,000 samples per day using single-sample testing. With pooled testing strategies — combining 10 samples into one tube — daily capacity can reach up to 120,000 samples.
Each container laboratory is equipped with an integrated testing platform including the MGISTP-7000 high-throughput automated sample transfer processing system, the MGISP-960 automated nucleic acid extraction system and the ZLIMS intelligent laboratory information management platform.
This integrated solution enables automated barcode scanning, information verification, liquid transfer and nucleic acid extraction while providing real-time monitoring throughout the testing process.
High-Throughput Nucleic Acid Extraction Technology
A key component of the system is the MGISP-NE384, a high-throughput automated nucleic acid extractor that uses magnetic rod technology to extract and purify nucleic acids from 96, 192, 288 or 384 samples per run.
A single MGISP-NE384 system can process up to 10,000 samples per day. Earlier this year, the system played an important role during the COVID-19 outbreak in Shijiazhuang, where large-scale testing capacity reached up to one million tests per day.
Government Officials Visit the Container Laboratory
During the deployment, Li Malin, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province, visited the MGI Container Laboratory to observe the testing operations.
On 12 April, Lu Lin, Head of the Yunnan Provincial Leading Group for COVID-19 Epidemic Response, also visited the facility and expressed appreciation for the high daily testing capacity of the container laboratories.
Flexible Mobile Laboratories for Emergency Response
MGI’s container laboratories operate under negative pressure conditions that comply with BSL-2+ standards. Each laboratory includes three functional areas: a reagent preparation room, a sample preparation room and a testing room.
The laboratory is built using a modified shipping container module, allowing it to be easily transported by vehicle and rapidly deployed to locations such as railway stations, ports, residential communities and other emergency testing sites.
By reducing the time required for sample transportation and enabling local testing, these mobile laboratories help minimise the need for patients to travel to central testing facilities.
Supporting Pandemic Control in China and Beyond
MGI’s container laboratories have supported COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in numerous cities across China, including Fuzhou, Fuyang, Qingdao Customs, Xiamen and Langfang.
Internationally, MGI container laboratories have also contributed to pandemic response efforts in countries including Sweden and Latvia, demonstrating their role in large-scale testing during public health emergencies.
