The virologist Christian Drosten prepared the general public in March 2020 for what everyone has long since saved as one of the most annoying pandemic wisdoms: "Viruses always mutate" was the name of the eighth episode of his podcast "Coronavirus Update", which now has 108 episodes brings.

When the seven-day incidence in Germany was still 0.8 and Germany was preparing for the first wave, Drosten was already thinking one step ahead - of what was to come.

David Lindenfeld

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The same can be said of Björn Rotter and his colleagues.

"We have dealt with it very intensively from the beginning," says the scientific director of GenXPro.

The biotech company, which was founded in Frankfurt in 2005, and its 20 employees specialize in sequencing, especially RNA analysis, and has developed a PCR test that, according to its own statements, can distinguish between different coronavirus variants.

This is important in order to determine which variant currently prevails.

The result should be available after about an hour and a half.

Previously, this always required a more complex procedure in which the positive samples first had to be examined again.

Up to now, a conventional PCR test only determined whether a sample was positive or negative, explains Rotter.

The further determination is expensive and consumes capacities that could be missing elsewhere.

No second proof necessary

What does he and his colleagues do differently?

Rotter explains it for laypeople as follows: With a PCR test device, four different types of evidence can usually be provided.

The first is universal detection, looking at a location in the genome that occurs in all variants.

This proof is used to examine whether the sample contains a relevant amount of corona viruses.

So he decides whether the test result is positive or negative.

The second proof is used to check whether the sample was taken correctly.

The third tests the sample for a specific variant - for example Delta, by checking for a gene segment that is characteristic of this variant.

And with the fourth, the same happens only with a view to another variant, for example Omikron.

The standard devices in the "slightly better equipped diagnostics have four channels", explains Rotter.

However, these would not usually be used to test the sample for variants.

Why didn't anyone come up with the idea that "GenXPro" came up with before?

Rotter laughs when you ask him this question.

Because he can't explain it either.

"It's a mystery to me," he says.

Perhaps this has something to do with the usual processes of carrying out the sequencing in two stages.

Or with the fact that such a test was missing, Rotter suspects.

Of course he doesn't know.

New subvariant of Omicron

In this way, the test has always been able to differentiate between two variants: for example the omicron variant from the delta variant.

The company has also developed a test for the new sub-variant of Omikron, BA.2, which is already more widespread in countries such as Denmark, which can distinguish this variant from the Omikron variant.

And recently there is also a solution for distinguishing between Delta, BA.1 and BA.2.

"In this case, all four channels are positive at Delta," says Rotter.

The validation will take place in the coming days.

If further variants arise, the test can be adapted at any time.

The kits, with which the actual test can then be carried out on the PCR device, are sold by "GenXPro" in Germany, but also abroad.

At the moment, the company is still lagging behind with production despite the increased demand.

"It's not like we've been overrun yet," says Rotter.

Also because the scientists say they have not yet been heard by the official authorities.

The company has contacted the RKI and the health authorities: “But it is difficult to get things moving and draw attention,” says Rotter.

He hasn't received any feedback so far: "It probably just went down because we're such a small company."