ISSUE NO. 2/ April 2020

Dear Valued Clients,

Welcome to our second issue of Symbio Analytical! With April now in full swing, I hope that everyone had a safe and well deserved rest over the Easter holiday. As I am sure you have all felt the effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak in Australia, I would like to take this time to remind you that Symbio has implemented a number of precautions to ensure the safety of our staff and contractors, and maintain a continued, outstanding level of service to our customers overthese challenging times. Additionally, as we play a critical role in the food supply chain which is under enormous pressure to keep up with current demands, I would like to reassure all of you that as an essential service we are and will continue to operate as usual. If changes do occur to our operations or strategies, we will provide any updates via email notifications and our website and social media platforms. Thank you for your continued support as we adapt to these challenging times together.

Stay safe and take care, Bruce Chen Managing Director

A MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

IN THIS ISSUE

symbiolabs.com.au1300 703 166

The Quarter in ReviewSymbio Analytical

GENERAL UPDATESSafety UpdateBuilding ProgressAccreditation Update

DEPARTMENT REPORT: MICROBIOLOGY Method and Instrument Updates Sanitiser/Disinfectant Efficacy Testing

DEPARTMENT REPORT: CHEMISTRY Project Updates Method and Instrument UpdatesNew Chemistry Technical Manager

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Technology UpdatesUpcoming Events and Important Dates

DEPARTMENT REPORT: SALES New Business Development Managers: Perth & Victoria2020 Customer Survey

GENERAL UPDATES

APRIL 2020 | 2

COVID-19 UpdateIn response to the dynamic and rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, Symbio Laboratories would like to provide you with some detailed information about the steps we are undertaking to ensure the safety of our people and the continuity of our services through this unprecedented time.

We currently have the following restrictions in place:• Domestic and international travel has been restricted

for Symbio employees; • Self-isolation of employees returning from overseas is

supported and “work from home arrangements” are being utilised as needed;

• Except where essential, virtual meetings are being held in place of face-to-face;

• Access to Symbio Sites has been considerably reduced for visitors, suppliers and contractors, and Site Access Declarations must be completed prior to entry;

• Daily temperature checks are being completed upon shift commencement of all employees with access restricted to those with an elevated temperature;

• Employee segregation practices have been implemented in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with our operations now divided into two distinct shifts for our Microbiology, Chemistry and Sample Management Teams.

Due to the evolving situation of COVID-19 and the unforeseen impacts this has had, the initial planned completion dates for our Sydney and Perth laboratory fitouts have been extended. The fitout of our new Perth site at Canning Vale is currently underway with our goal to have it open for business by the start of the new financial year. Renovation of our existing Sydney site in Lane Cove is due to begin this month. Please keep in mind that these scheduled dates are subject to further change given the current situation and we will continue to keep you updated on their progress.

AN UPDATE FROM OUR SAFETY TEAM

BUILDING PROGRESS

0 LTIFR

SYMBIO’S LOST TIME INJURY FREQUENCY RATE (LTIFR):

ACCREDITATION UPDATEThe National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) has announced that due to the strict travel and physical distancing regulations put in place by the Australian Government to help combat the spread of COVID-19, they will no longer be conducting on-site laboratory assessments. While a remote assessment process has been developed to ensure existing accreditations can be maintained, please be advised that these restrictions will likely cause delays in the accreditation of new Symbio Laboratory methods for the foreseeable future.

Perth - Canning Vale Lab Site

In the interest of prevention, we have also:• Installed additional sanitiser stations in Symbio

lunchrooms/amenities;• Supplied all employees with personal hand sanitisers;• Implemented regular and rigorous cleaning protocols

throughout all Symbio sites using 75% ethanol;• Clearly marked the maximum capacity of all areas following

the Government’s advice of 1 person per 4m2;• Scheduled a flu vaccination program for all employees that

will be completed during the month of April.

To ensure that all employees are supplied with the most up to date Implemented on COVID-19:• Awareness and training sessions have been held on

COVID-19 and basic protective measures, including increased personal hygiene and physical distancing;

• Signs have been displayed throughout all facilities to remind employees of physical distancing requirements and good hygiene practices;

• Regular updates are obtained from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Australian Government and their suggestions are being applied where relevant.

Our business continuity plan has also been reviewed to ensure we are well prepared to move as quickly as needed to support our employees and customers.

DEPARTMENT REPORT

MicrobiologyMETHOD AND INSTRUMENT UPDATES

As the method verification process for our new multiplex real-time PCR (rtPCR) analysis for pathogens began prior to the COVID-19 situation, NATA accreditation for this method at our Brisbane and Melbourne laboratories is in its final stages.

In addition, Symbio has successfully established the use of TECAN robotics in our daily workflow of rtPCR for pathogen analysis in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane laboratories. This robotic platform is a robust, advanced technology that offers automated DNA extraction and rtPCR setup which minimizes cross-contamination and ensures more accurate results.

APRIL 2020 | 3

New Instrument - TECAN robotics for rtPCR

With the recent increase in demand for hand sanitiser products and their subsequent lack of availability, Symbio Laboratories has prioritised the development of in house Sanitiser/ Disinfectant Efficacy testing to assist manufacturers with meeting this demand and ensuring their products comply with the current requirements.

Under the category of ‘General Consumable Products’, Symbio can offer Sanitiser/ Disinfectant Efficacy testing for a 99.99% or greater claim, with reference to two international standards: • International Standard IS EN 1276-2009 Chemical

Disinfectants and Antiseptics - Quantitative Suspension Test

• ASTM E2315 - Standard Guide for Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity Using a Time Kill Test

As part of our existing capabilities, we are also able to assist with the analysis of alcohol content in these hand sanitiser products. If you would like more information on the above testing or would like to request a quote, please contact our Customer Service Team on 1300 703 166 or admin@symbiolabs.com.au.

SANITISER EFFICACY TESTING

rtPCRFACT SHEET

DEPARTMENT REPORT

Chemistry

The 27th Australian Total Diet Study (ATDS) is currently underway and involves the sampling and analysis of a broad variety of Australian foods for the presence of selected per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We are pleased to announce that Symbio Laboratories has been selected as the sole service provider for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 sample preparation and testing - a big congratulations to the team! Using our advanced HRMS technology, Symbio has and will continue to provide Food Standards Australian & New Zealand with timely, high quality results and service throughout the life of the project. We are very proud to be a part of such a significantly important study which once complete, will provide governments and regulatory bodies with a better understanding of the presence of PFAS in our general food supply.

PROJECT UPDATES

APRIL 2020 | 4

METHOD AND INSTRUMENT UPDATES

The Brisbane Laboratory has welcomed a new automated Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) analyser to the instrument family! This brand new instrument will allow Symbio to expand the number of samples we can test, while also increasing result precision due to automation of what was previously an incredibly labour intensive test.

NEW CHEMISTRY TECHNICAL MANAGER - GLEN RANGOTT

Glen Rangott has joined our Symbio Laboratories Brisbane Team as the new Chemistry Technical Manager. With a Bachelor of Applied Sciences qualification from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Glen will be working closely with the Chemistry, Sales and IT Teams to provide technical support, quality assurance and training. Having worked for Symbio as a Senior Chemist between 2000-2007, Glen understands the business well and we look forward to working with him again!

We have updated the way we report results to our clients when the request for dry weight basis reporting is made on a submission form. Previously this information was issued in a separate dry weight basis report, but following an innovative solution developed by our IT Team, both ‘as received’ and ‘dry weight basis’ results are now reported on the same Certificate of Analysis for easier interpretation.

DRY WEIGHT BASIS REPORTING UPDATE

New instrument - Automated BOD Analyser

DEPARTMENT REPORT

Sales

APRIL 2020 | 5

Steve Caffery - Victoria Steve comes to Symbio Laboratories with a long history in quality management and the development of quality systems for leading stockfeed companies. Steve was responsible for ensuring compliance with multiple regulatory

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS

Symbio Head Office - Brisbane

platforms, including OHS, environment, quality, HACCP and GMP. Steve has completed an exhaustive list of training qualifications in food safety, manufacturing quality systems and IT. Even at rest, Steve enjoys IT along with golf and travel.

David Udy - Western Australia David is a long time Western Australia resident and his qualifications include a Masters of Business Administration (Management) and a Bachelor of Science (Biological Science). David has experience within the analytical services markethaving held positions with NMI and Advanced Analytical during his career.

David is a keen soccer player and up until recently enjoyed domestic and international travel.

We have recently welcomed three new sample collection drivers to the Symbio Laboratories team (Marcus, Ryan and Frady), along with three brand new fleet vehicles! Two of these drivers and vehicles will be stationed in Brisbane and one will reside in Sydney. Some of the benefits these upgraded vehicles provide include increased load capacity, refrigeration units and new signage.

OUR FLEET IS GROWING!

2020 CUSTOMER SURVEY

The Symbio Laboratories 2020 Customer Survey is now live and we’d love to hear your feedback about your experience with Symbio over the last year! Survey links have been emailed to all of our clients, but if you didn’t receive a link and would like to take part, please contact our Customer Service Team on 1300 703 166 or admin@symbiolabs.com.au.

New Fleet Vehicle

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

APRIL 2020 | 6

Upcoming Events & Important DatesDue to the recent regulations put in place by the Australian Government to limit the spread of COVID-19, most of the events scheduled for 2020 have been postponed or cancelled. Details about our operations on these upcoming public holidays will be emailed to our clients closer to the date, but if you have any questions please contact your Account Manager or our Customer Service team on 1300 703 166 or admin@symbiolabs.com.au.

Anzac DayPublic Holiday - National

Labour DayPublic Holiday - QLD

May DayPublic Holiday - NT

25APRIL 2020 MAY 2020

4 4MAY 2020

1JUNE 2020

Reconciliation DayPublic Holiday - ACT

1JUNE 2020

WA DayPublic Holiday - WA

Queen’s BirthdayPublic Holiday - ACT, NSW,

NT, SA, VIC, TAS

8JUNE 2020

Exceedance NotificationsFollowing the development of the exceedance notification system by our IT Team, Symbio can now provide you with notifications in real time by text and/or email for any results outside of your required specifications. An example of an email notification is included to the right, but the information recorded in these notifications can be tailored specifically to your company’s needs. Depending on the complexity of your request, set up can be immediate or may take up to a week.

Recent eResults UpdateYou may have noticed that an update was released to our eResults platform recently. Although the update rollout was not as smooth as we had initially anticipated and we apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused, the changes we made have increased the speed and performance of the platform and it now provides the required framework for some exciting future developments we are currently working on.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

TEST RESULTS EXCEEDANCE ALERT *PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL*

SYMBIO CERTIFICATE/SAMPLE ID: B000000/1

CLIENT REFERENCE: SYMBIO_CLIENT

JOB DESCRIPTION: Example Exceedance Notification

SAMPLE DESCRIPTION: Sample A

TEST NAME: Salmonella

TEST RESULT: DETECTED

RESULT ENTEREDON: 09/04/2020 10:00

Test result is not confirmed and verified. Final reporting of this result may be subject to change due to rounding or number of significant figures applied.

To get set up or to find out more about exceedance notifications or our eResults platform, contact your Symbio Laboratories Account Manager or our Customer Service Team on 1300 703 166 or admin@symbiolabs.com.au.