New versions of MRIGlobal’s mobile laboratories, which combat biological and chemical threats like the coronavirus, are available. Its labs offerings now include Athena, Mercury and CBCS. Read more in the Kansas City Business Journal.
The Kansas City-based nonprofit contract research organization engineers and produces the mobile laboratories to detect and respond to infectious diseases like COVID-19, which is the disease caused by a strain of coronavirus.
“MRIGlobal’s mobile lab solutions have become essential infrastructure to many nations and customers in diagnosing infectious diseases and other biological and chemical threats around the globe,” Dean Gray, director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at MRIGlobal, said in a Monday release.
Athena is an expandable lab space comparable to brick and mortar laboratories. It offers 82% more floor space and 40% more lab bench space than previous models with no increase in shipping footprint, according to the release. An 18-foot section expands when the lab is in use.
The lab can be used for detecting bacterial, viral and toxin targets, as will as explosive and chemical agent targets.
Mercury is a mobile molecular biosurvelliance lab that one person can transport and operate. The lab is designed to be taken to remote sites. It is contained in a single, lockable grab-and-go case and can be moved on foot or by plane, car or motorcycle.
Athena and Mercury joined CBCS, which is a flyable medical transport unit. The CBCS was used to evacuate U.S. coronavirus patients from China and was originally created for use during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.