FortiusBio was registered in 2010, inspired by the discovery that sodium pyrophosphate, among several other chemicals, enhances RNA stability in guanidium based tissue lysates. The discovery was the subject of a PCT patent application of PCT/US2011/063189. We sell the proprietary RNA preserving reagent as additives to the standard guanidium based tissue lysis buffer for enhanced RNA stability during RNA extraction, we also market RNA preserving reagent enhahnced tissue lysis buffer as means to preserve sample RNA at ambient temperature during storage and transportation.
Focus was later shifted to treating filter paper card with our RNA stability preserving reagents for fluid sample RNA
preservation at ambient temperature.
RNASound™ ReadyPunched™ RNA Sampling card is filter paper card that is treated with the proprietary chemicals, it unprecedentedly preserves RNA integrity at ambient temperature for prolonged time period; Each card has two 5mm perforated discs that are easy to be detached with pipette tips. Fluid sample up to 100uL can be dropped on the card or be scrubbed on the card with swabs. After dry, RNA can be easily eluted from detached discs by brief shaking in Card Elution Solution. California Department of Public Health compared our card with FTA card and eventually selected our cards for their routine West Nile Virus surveillance task since 2014, they recently published details the comparison results; World Health Organization (WHO) published observation that influenza virus RNA stayed stable on the card at ambient temperature for up to 4 weeks.
RNASound™ Blood RNA card is a thicker filter paper card that is treated with the proprietary chemicals and used specifically for blood samples. Up to 200uL of blood can be applied on each card and integrity of RNA is preserved, RNA is later extracted with standard RNA extraction methods. Seattle Children's Research Institute published results of better HIV-1 RNA preservation and recovery from the card than from matrix based tube product.
LyseNow® Perforated Cards are thick filter paper card for all sample matrices, including blood, for both RNA and DNA. Each card has seven perforated 3 mm discs for easy detach with pipette tips. Each card has unique barcode for the ease of sample and result recording and tracking. The design of the perforated card is the subject of a pending US design patent application (US 29578820).
LyseNow® Strip Card is a plastic strip, each hosts eight 5 mm proprietary chemicals treated filter paper discs. Eight discs are arranged in accordance to the standard 96 well plate well spacing, allow them to be translocated at once to wells in the plate row with multi-channel pipette. Fluid samples up to 10uL is loaded on each disc and dried, discs are easily detached with pipette tips. The card is for high throughput extraction of RNA, plasmid DNA, or pathogen DNA. Different elution protocols were developed for different sample matrices and either RNA or DNA is the interested targets. The strip card design is the subject of a pending US design patent application (US 29578821).