NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The life sciences services firm LGC has purchased one of Fluidigm’s BioMark Systems, which it will use to offer genetic analysis services in its United Kingdom labs, Fluidigm said today.
The BioMark System uses fluidic circuit technology to improve throughput, reduce complexity, and allow for use of smaller samples and less reagents in high throughput genotyping applications, the company said.
With the purchase, LGC will add digital PCR to the other services, including quantitative PCR, genotyping, gene expression, copy number variation, and absolute quantification for sequencing, it offers to UK biotech research customers.
Fluidigm said that LGC initially will use the Fluidigm’s integrated fluidic circuitry system in PCR and gene expression projects in its Research & Technology Division, but in the future will include it in its LGC Standards, Life & Food Sciences, and LGC Forensics divisions as well.
“The system will initially be used by the scientific teams in LGC's Research & Technology Division to look at the accurate quantification of rare target sequences for applications such as health diagnostics and monitoring the efficiency of drug therapies," Derek Craston, who directs LGC’s R&T division, said in a statement.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released.