Bioscientia Joins Siemens/Sequenom Partnership to Evaluate MassArray for Clinical Dx

NEW YORK, June 9 (GenomeWeb News) - Bioscientia, a reference laboratory based in Germany, will join Siemens Medical Solutions and Sequenom to evaluate Sequenom's MassArray platform for molecular diagnostic applications, Sequenom said today.

Under the agreement, Sequenom will provide its MassArray Compact platform, consumables, technical support, and assays for specific conditions, including deep vein thrombosis and HIV. With funding and engineering expertise from Siemens, Bioscientia will test the platform in a benchmarking study.

Bioscientia, based in Ingelheim, is the second reference lab after Specialty Laboratories in April to join Siemens' and Sequenom's "working group," which the companies founded in late 2004. The first phase of the progam, which will eventually include four laboratories, will be a benchmarking study, to be completed this year, to evaluate the analytical data quality and workflow of the MassArray system.