Test robot 'The Beast' processes twenty thousand corona tests per day

This week the STRIP-1 test robot, nicknamed 'The Beast', was unveiled. The robot, developed by the Hubrecht Institute (part of the KNAW) and biotechnology company Genmab, can process twenty thousand PCR corona tests per day. That is significantly more than all known devices in the world to date.

The robot is a Dutch invention, but built in Switzerland. The STRIP-1 is set up in the medical-microbiology laboratory PAMM in Veldhoven and is financed by the central government. According to the ministry, the test robot can also be used in any future pandemics.

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Traditionally, the Netherlands has high-quality, but also small-scale test and analysis facilities. However, during major virus outbreaks such as the corona pandemic, it is necessary to be able to quickly process high volumes of test samples. The STRIP-1 must ensure that.

In addition to the high sensing speed, the new test robot also provides a cost advantage: the costs per test are considerably lower according to the makers. Interest in the STRIP-1 has now also been shown from abroad.

After a period of test running, validation runs are currently being performed on the system. The robot can start processing corona tests at full power from mid-February. If everything continues to work well, the government is considering purchasing more test robots such as the STRIP-1 so that the testing capacity can be scaled up much faster.