UK Manufacture of Key Reagents for RT-PCR Testing

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Nucleosides and nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA and play a pivotal role in DNA replication, transcription and translation, whilst their chemistry constitutes a vibrant field of research for both synthetic and biological chemists. They remain one of the most fruitful drug classes, with nucleosides providing keys structural components for about 50% of antiviral drugs and 20% of anticancer drugs used in the UK. Their (poly)phosphorylated nucleotide counterparts can be used as critical tools for chemical biology and sequencing technologies and most importantly, act as base reagents for the essential PCR test used in the detection of viral infections.In order to increase the UK's capacity for testing of viral infections such as Covid-19, there needs to be a robust supply chain of key components that go into the test kits. Since the dNTP's that are used are currently sourced from overseas, part of the delay in rolling out national testing may hinge upon the availability and import of such materials. Through this project, we propose to deliver a reliable and robust manufacturing process under strict quality assurance protocols for high-quality dNTPs that can be used for the PCR test, within the UK. This will inevitably mitigate the medical, societal and economic effects of any future Covid-19-type pandemics.