A SCIENTIST from Didsbury is one of a group of highly qualified Cancer Research UK volunteers who are testing thousands of patient samples each day for coronavirus at the new Lighthouse Lab at Alderley Park in Cheshire, led by Medicines Discovery Catapult.
Isabelle Thompson – a scientific officer at Cancer Research UK’s Manchester Institute, part of the University of Manchester – is one of around thirty Cancer Research UK volunteers working alongside industry partners at the government mega-lab.
Cancer Research UK volunteers are involved in all parts of the testing process – debagging nose and throat swabs delivered daily from across the UK, extracting genetic material from the samples, and running tests which identify presence of the Covid-19 virus.
Isabelle, 27, normally works on ground-breaking cancer discoveries at Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute’s laboratories, which are currently based at Alderley Park. She ensures the smooth running of the preclinical pharmacology laboratory in the Cancer Biomarker Centre, whose work on small cell lung cancer is internationally renowned.
But with many laboratories shut down for the time being, Cancer Research UK scientists like Isabelle are currently being redeployed to help in the fight against Covid-19, including assisting with testing. By helping to beat coronavirus, the charity can lessen the impact that it is having on the care of cancer patients.
Isabelle said: “As scientists, we have a really important part to play in the fight against the coronavirus, and I’m proud to be a part of the work at Alderley Park. As soon as I heard about the opportunity to volunteer, I knew I had to sign up straight away.
“In the cancer lab we handle biological samples every day and have many of the skills needed to deal with coronavirus samples too. Each part of the process is meticulously done, from unpacking the samples through to testing them and quality controlling them, which suits the way most scientists work.
“I’m normally based at Alderley Park so, while our labs on site are temporarily closed, this a great opportunity to come together with industry and academic volunteers from across the site in one big collective effort. Everyone is really supportive of one another and the morale feels really positive.”
Testing Minister Lord Bethell said: “Many extraordinary people are playing a vital role in the national effort to fight coronavirus and rapidly increase testing.
“I’d like to personally thank Isabelle for volunteering to work at the Lighthouse Lab in Alderley Park. She is part of what is now the biggest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history – a phenomenal achievement, helping to make sure anyone who needs a test can get one.”
Prof. Peter Simpson, Chief Scientific Officer, Medicines Discovery Catapult and Director, Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab, said: “The Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab has been set up at an unprecedented pace and scale to respond to an urgent national need.
“This would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of all the scientific volunteers from research charities, universities, and industry, who have stepped forward to collaborate and utilise their skills in the fight against Covid-19. The volunteers from Cancer Research UK have been instrumental in progressing testing, and we can’t thank them enough for their continued commitment.”
The Lighthouse Lab at Alderley Park is part of what is the biggest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history, testing coronavirus samples from drive-through test sites across the country. Similar mega-labs have been set up in Glasgow and Milton Keynes.
As well as volunteers, Cancer Research UK has also loaned specialist equipment to the Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab. This includes seventeen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, which are used in cancer research to examine DNA in tumour samples. These machines have been repurposed to examine DNA from nose and throat swabs to look for signs of viral genetic material left behind by the coronavirus.
Isabelle said: “Technology which plays a really important part in researching cancer is now being used to detect coronavirus. Our PCR machines can detect even tiny traces of Covid-19 and tell us if someone is infected with the virus. With large numbers of tests coming in for processing, it’s brilliant that Cancer Research UK has stepped in to support the country with this sort of kit.
“It’s amazing to see how the cancer community has banded together to support this current crisis. However it goes without saying that we are all looking forward to getting back to our usual research. Hopefully the sooner we beat coronavirus, the sooner we can get back to beating cancer.”
The new Lighthouse Labs have been created through a partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care and Medicines Discovery Catapult with UK Biocentre and the University of Glasgow.
They are being closely supported by both NHS and Public Health England. The Alderley Park facility is hosted by the Medicines Discovery Catapult, working closely with AstraZeneca.
