NEW YORK, April 23 – Transgenomic has sold its Wave genetic analysis system to biotechnology giant Genzyme, the companies said Monday.
Genzyme will use the system in its research on genetic mutations that cause or are associated with hereditary diseases such as lysosomal storage disorders and some cancers.
"The ongoing challenge for human genome research is to understand the relationship between genetic mutations and diseases such as cancer,” said Transgenomic Chief Executive Officer, Collin D'Silva, in a statement. “The Wave System has been widely recognized as one of the fastest, most sensitive and cost-effective tools for genetic analysis."
The Wave System is designed to identify DNA mutations using micro-bead technology. The product packs micro-beads, each of which has a proprietary surface chemistry that interacts with DNA molecules, into a DNA separation column. The product than uses liquid reagents to separate out the molecules. The analysis is performed using the company’s bioinformatics Wavemaker software
D’Silva said that Transgenomic, of Omaha, Neb., has placed the Wave system in over 500 medical research institutions and biotechnology companies.