The TGS program, a leading example of
biosecurity infrastructure, operates at a total of nine US
locations and leverages voluntary nasal swabs as well as wastewater
sampling from international travelers to detect more than 30
pathogens.
BOSTON, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks
(NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell
programming and biosecurity, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and XpresCheck, by XWELL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XWEL), a
leader in the delivery of onsite pathogen screening, today
announced they are expanding the CDC's Traveler-based Genomic
Surveillance program (TGS) to new collection locations at US
international airports in Miami
(MIA) and Chicago (ORD).
Additional program funding and expanded program scope, which
will double the CDC's current investment in TGS, will be used to
substantially increase the volume of nasal and wastewater samples
collected, tested, and sequenced using a custom multipathogen
panel. This expanded funding will also bring the number of airports
in the program to a total of nine active sites: Los Angeles, San
Francisco, New York (JFK),
Washington Dulles, Newark,
Boston, Seattle, Miami, and Chicago.
Since its inception in September
2021, the TGS program has demonstrated its ability to serve
as an early detection mechanism for new pathogens and fill gaps in
global biosurveillance.
The program has detected several novel strains of SARS-CoV-2
(the virus that causes COVID-19), using different sample types,
including nasal swabs collected anonymously from volunteer
international travelers arriving at participating airports hosting
mobile testing centers in terminals, as well as wastewater samples
from airplanes and airport triturators. In October 2023, the program expanded to cover a
list of more than 30 viral and bacterial targets.
The first phase of multipathogen testing and sequencing in
November and December 2023 proved
successful, and the TGS program was able to detect positive samples
containing several pathogens of interest, including influenza A and
B, RSV, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacteria that causes
pneumonia.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to take the TGS program
to the next level. Multipathogen biomonitoring expands this
critical biosecurity infrastructure for the United States," said Matt McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity
at Ginkgo Bioworks. "The frequency of new outbreaks around the
world reminds us every day that persistent and strategically
focused biosurveillance is paramount to ensure readiness and rapid
response. We are honored that CDC continues to trust this
consortium to deliver a strategic piece of our biothreat
preparedness."
The program continues to innovate in the space of pathogen
genomics and biosecurity by introducing new collection modalities,
launching in new locations, and refining the list of target
pathogens to provide a clearer picture of what pathogens are
circulating in the international travel system. It is supported by
robust operational partnership.
"This expansion demonstrates the continued capability of the TGS
program and is a further realization of the goal set out by the CDC
and the Federal Government to incorporate this program as part of a
permanent biosecurity effort in the
United States," said Ezra
Ernst, CEO of XpresCheck. "It allows us to continue
providing a frontline defense against potential pathogens entering
our country and reinforces our commitment to public health."
"The additional funding of the program allows us to add
infrastructure to support new mobile testing centers at
Miami International Airport and
Chicago O'Hare International Airport. It will also enable us to
increase testing capacity at existing airports, reinforcing our
position as the largest consortium of partners in the biosecurity
space," added Ernst.
About XWELL, Inc.
XWELL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XWEL) is a
leading global wellness holding company operating multiple brands:
XpresSpa®, Treat™, Naples Wax
Center®, XpresCheck® and
HyperPointe™.
- XpresSpa and its Treat brand are leading retailers of wellness
services and related products, with 34 locations in 15 airports
globally.
- Naples Wax Center is a group of upscale skin care boutiques,
with three locations currently operating.
- XpresCheck is a provider of screening and diagnostic
testing in partnership with the CDC and Concentric by Ginkgo,
conducting bio-surveillance monitoring in its airport locations to
identify new SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern as well as
other pathogens entering the country from across the world.
- HyperPointe is a leading digital healthcare and data
analytics relationship company serving the global healthcare
industry.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading
horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible,
end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across
diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to
industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public
health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global
infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities,
and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide
variety of biological threats. For more information, visit
ginkgobioworks.com and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or
follow us on social media channels such as X (formerly known as
Twitter) (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGinkgo), Instagram
(@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks), or LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements of XWELL, Inc.
This press
release may contain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These include statements
preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words
"believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "projects,"
"intends," "should," "seeks," "future," "continue," or the negative
of such terms, or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking
statements relating to expectations about future results or events,
including the Company's current plans and expectations relating to
the business and operations and future store openings for Naples
Wax Center, are based upon information available to XWELL as
of today's date and are not guarantees of the future performance of
the Company, and actual results may vary materially from the
results and expectations discussed. Additional information
concerning these and other risks is contained in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and
Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking
statements concerning XWELL, or other matters and attributable to
XWELL or any person acting on its behalf are expressly
qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.
XWELL does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any
of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances that may arise after the date hereof.
Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This
press release contains certain forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements
regarding the capabilities and potential success of the partnership
and Ginkgo's biosecurity platform. These forward-looking statements
generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project,"
"potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend,"
"strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should,"
"will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result,"
and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are
predictions, projections and other statements about future events
that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a
result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could
cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not
limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due
to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and
highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to
operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes
in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the
ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other
expectations, and to identify and realize additional business
opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products
using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand
for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v)
changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements
in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry
demands, standards and regulations, (vi) the outcome of any pending
or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (vii) our ability to
realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry
platform programs, (viii) our ability to successfully develop
engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other
deliverables, and (ix) the product development or commercialization
success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and
the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors"
section of Ginkgo's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 29, 2024 and other documents filed by
Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and
address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual events and results to differ materially from those contained
in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put
undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no
obligation and does not intend to update or revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance
that it will achieve its expectations.
XWELL INVESTOR CONTACT:
IR@XWELL.com
XWELL MEDIA CONTACT:
mkucinski@mww.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR
CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA
CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
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