A Quebec-based lab: Prenato reduces its carbon footprint!
4 May 2022
For many months now, Prenato has partnered with the laboratory Genolab, property of Genoscience. This lab has allowed the analysis of our Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) samples to be performed directly in Quebec City. A thoughtful decision which will have an impact on generations to come also makes Prenato one of the rare prenatal screening clinics having access to laboratory analyses performed in Quebec!
Quebec-based laboratory
From a practical and medical standpoint, the inauguration of the Quebec-based laboratory, Genolab, has allowed Prenato to improve its monitoring of samples and of clients’ results. With the simple click of a mouse (or even by walking a few steps for our Quebec City-based nurses) it is possible to access the lab and to determine exactly at which phase of analysis our samples are in. The thorough monitoring we provide helps prevent errors and maximises the speed with which you can obtain your results. One must not forget that each sample has a naturally limited shelf-life and that a higher rate of test failure can occur when samples are subjected to long or inadequate transportation conditions (breakage, freezing, or excessive heat). A factor as simple as a delay at an international border could invalidate a test result. This could be the case, for example, for samples that require international transport. Rest assured that at Prenato, none of our lab analyses are performed in Asia and that all our samples remain in North America!
Preserve our planet
This decision also stems from a business plan which strives to promote a reduction in Prenato’s carbon footprint. While considering our very youngest clients, it is evident that our clinic must innovate to help preserve our planet. By performing the majority of our analyses in Quebec, we can from now on proudly proclaim that we have decreased by approximately 90% the volume of tests requiring analysis at a California-based lab. This represents thousands of kilometers (up to 5000km per dispatch) each week that will no longer need to be traveled via different transportation methods since our testing is now performed in our own province. A lab analysis based in Quebec is not only a green option, it also promotes buying local. Encouraging Prenato is encouraging a business founded in Quebec which collaborates with Quebec professionals in a Quebec City-based lab. A service that is unique, Quebec-based, personalised, and environmentally-conscious!
Although all the above-mentioned reasons are excellent, we must also state that our fees are some of the most competitive thanks to this project. From now on, it is possible to obtain NIPT screening at a more accessible price. Would you like to schedule a prenatal screening test with Prenato? Contact us by phone at 1-888-937-8705