Viña Concha y Toro has revealed details of two major initiatives which are part of its contribution to the Private Emergency Health Fund. The aim of the fund, led by Chile’s Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC) is to help combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The molecular biology laboratory, ran by Viña Concha y Toro’s Center for Research and Innovation (CRI) has been certified by the Universidad Católica del Maule’s Biomedical Research Laboratory to operate under the supervision of the Maule Region Health Service.

Diagnostic tests will be carried out in the laboratory to detect SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19 as part of a network of laboratories connected by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.

The CRI molecular biology laboratory is capable of process robotisation and automation. This is achieved through the use of the Hamilton Microlab StarLet robotic pipettor among other devices, which enables 2,300 daily samples to be processed and a qPCR Thermofisher QuantStudio 5 with a diagnostic capacity of 768 daily samples.

Eduardo Guilisasti, CEO, Viña Concha y Toro said: “We want to collaborate with our capabilities to overcome this health crisis, supporting prevention and early diagnosis.

‘CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT’

“As part of our contribution to the Private Emergency Health Fund, together with the donation of hand sanitiser to health authorities, we have also made our cutting edge technological equipment and team of professionals at the Center for Research and Innovation available to them.”

According to the company, this milestone complements the first stage of implementing complementary capacity to strengthen the diagnostic system and also included the provision of RNA extraction equipment to UCM and Talca Hospital.

This strategy includes an Esco SC2-4E1 Streamline Class II Biological Safety Cabinet and MagMAX Express-96 purification system, which enables daily extraction capacity to be quadrupled.

Additionally, the company will donate purification kits which carry out 1,500 RNA extractions and provide advisors in work teams coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.

Andrés Couve, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation said: “The organised scientific community is currently performing a special task to fight this pandemic.

“Thanks to the coordination of five regional Ministry of Science offices—together with teams from the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Institute and the generosity of the scientific community, academic communities and private sector—today our country stands out for its coordinated and decentralised Covid-19 diagnostic capacity.

Gerard Casaubon, Director of Viña Concha y Toro’s Center for Research and Innovation added: “In times of crisis, this type of collaboration reaffirms the value of public-private-academic partnerships in their deepest sense, which ultimately aims to achieve common good and prosperity for our country.

“I would like to thank the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, UCM and our employees for making this possible.”

Meanwhile, Viña Concha y Toro will donate 50,000 litres of hand sanitiser to health authorities in different formats. The hand sanitisers will be then be distributed to people and organisations, including the Covid-19  diagnostic laboratories network and Ministry of Health networks and communities.

Concha y Toro says 40,000 of the hand sanitisers comprise the company’s alcohol and that 10,000 litres will be produced by Viña Concha y Toro’s Lontué Plant and delivered for local distribution.