A donation of medical equipment to the Hellenic Pasteur Institute (H.P.I.), in order to make a practical contribution to the work of the Institute for the fight against Covid-19, was made by the Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA), in the context of the Corporate Social Responsibility program that it implements and by responding to the needs created in this difficult time.
More specifically, DESFA donated a modern Thermo Scientific LSG Genetic Analyzer, PKG SEQSTUDIO SMARTST, which, in addition to the genetic characterization of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, will also be used to determine the genetic synthesis of various other viruses.
In this way, DESFA strengthens the great effort of the H.P.I., which as one of the appointed National Reference Centers is from the beginning of the appearance of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the front line of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in our country.
The CEO of DESFA, Nicola Battilana, commented: “We are very grateful to the H.P.I. for its great contribution to the battle against Covid-19 pandemic. With this action, we wish to thank the Institute in practice and to contribute to the strengthening of the difficult task that is selflessly implemented by its human resources daily. DESFA, with a sense of responsibility and solidarity, stands by every effort that is made for the benefit of society and could not be absent from the effort to stop the unprecedented health crisis that our country is experiencing.”
The Deputy General Director of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Dr. Evdokia Karagouni, commented: “We would like to express our warm thanks to DESFA for supporting the Institute’s efforts to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hellenic Pasteur Institute, which this year completed a century of contribution to Research, Public Health and Education, was once again called upon to support Public Health Sector in this unprecedented crisis, through the establishment of front-line diagnostics, while conducting pioneering research on the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This donation from DESFA proves that the Hellenic Pasteur Institute has valuable allies in his task. The contribution of the capillary genetic analyser PKG SEQSTUDIO by DESFA and its addition in the equipment of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute will substantially contribute in the genetic characterization and the epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 as well as of other viruses in our country. It will also reduce the cost and the turnaround time of genetic analyses that are currently outsourced by the HPI researchers.”