April 13, 2021—Promega Corp. released its XpressAmp Direct Amplification Reagents. The product contains components for performing extraction-free preparation of viral samples for PCR-based amplification using commonly available PCR reagents from samples collected by nasopharyngeal swab in universal or viral transport medium. The reagents allow the user to perform direct amplification analysis in RT-qPCR following a 10-minute, room-temperature incubation. With this innovation, the company says, laboratories testing for COVID-19 have a tool that enables them to skip the potentially bottlenecked RNA extraction step and move directly to PCR amplification.
Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Hear an expert discuss how to integrate Kappa and Lambda in situ hybridization testing into your standard hematopathology workflow to accurately assess B-cell and plasma cell clonality. You will also gain the skills to recognize testing pitfalls in challenging reactive versus neoplastic proliferations and apply ancillary tools to resolve complex cases.
Webinar presenter Xiaojun Wu, MD, PhD, Assistant professor, Director of Hematopathology Section at NCR of Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Pathology, SOM at Johns Hopkins University
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 11:00-11:30 AM CT
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how transparency and manufacturer partnerships improve quality, consistency, and decision-making confidence in specimen management.
- Evaluate blood collection tubes beyond cost and commodity assumptions, incorporating clinical impact and risk into decision-making.
- Assess the potential risk points when using a blood collection device that has not been cleared for a specific purpose.
Roundtable presenters Nick Fingland, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, R&D Operations and Science, BD, and Chris Farnsworth, PhD, D(ABCC), Section Head of Clinical Chemistry, Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Learn about digital pathology technology that is future-ready, yet practical for today’s
laboratory needs.
Webinar presenters Scott Hammond, Senior Systems Consultant, Digital Pathology Division, Wexner Medical Center-Department of Pathology, and Ursula Hofer, Imaging Technologist, Pathology Digital Imaging Lab, Wexner Medical Center-Department of Pathology.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY