IntegenX said recently that it has acquired SV Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of GE Healthcare Biosciences, for an undisclosed amount.
The acquisition gives IntegenX access to SV Corp's products and intellectual property, which will help IntegenX expand its consumables offering and accelerate commercialization of its RapidHit 200 Human DNA Identification System, IntegenX said.
Specifically, SV Corp gives IntegenX "proprietary products and a proven and protected IP estate containing key technical know-how in capillary electrophoresis, separation, sample preparation, and separation matrix," IntegenX CEO Stevan Jovanovich said in a statement.
As a result of the acquisition, IntegenX will take over supplying capillaries and matrix to the more than 100 existing users of GE’s MegaBACE sequencers. These products will also be integrated into the RapidHIT 200 system, IntegenX said. IntegenX also has a reagent supply agreement in place with Promega for that company's nucleic acid purification and short tandem repeat amplification reagents (PCR Insider, 8/4/2011).
RapidHit 200 is a fully automated, closed, sample-to-profile DNA analysis system that integrates cell lysis, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, capillary electrophoresis-based separation, and laser-induced fluorescence detection. The company is developing the platform for use in field-based applications in forensics, defense, homeland security, and other markets.
The system can produce DNA profiles from buccal swabs or other human samples in less than 90 minutes, and will enable DNA analysis at the point of collection, such as an arrest or detention, according to the company.
IntegenX said that it intends to commercially launch the RapidHit platform later this year. In December, the company secured $40 million in Series C financing to accelerate development of the product (PCR Insider, 12/15/2011).
Life Technologies officials said last week that the company acquired French animal health firm Laboratoire Service International in the first quarter for an undisclosed amount.
During a conference call discussing Life Tech's Q1 financial results, CEO Greg Lucier said that LSI "is a leader in veterinary real-time PCR animal testing," and that its tests would complement Life Tech's existing ELISA- and PCR-based animal health tests.
As a result of the acquisition, Life Tech now provides diagnostic tests for a wide range of pathogens including: BVDV, BTV, MAP, IBR, Q fever, and bovine TB in ruminants; PRRS, PCV2, SIV, Salmonella in swine; avian influenza, Newcastle disease and Gumboro disease in poultry; and EAV and West Nile virus in equine.
3M Food Safety said last month that its new 3M Molecular Detection Assay for Salmonella has received AOAC-PTM Certification No. 031208 from the AOAC Research Institute's Performance Tested Methods Program.
Launched in December 2011, the 3M Molecular Detection System combines isothermal DNA amplification and bioluminescence detection to rapidly and quantitatively detect pathogens in enriched food, feed, and food process environment samples.
AOAC-PTM certification validates 3M's molecular approach as equivalent to or better than standard US reference methods from the US Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture for the detection of Salmonella.
3M has licensed the real-time bioluminescent assay technology from UK-based molecular testing firm Lumora (PCR Insider, 9/1/2011).
Earlier this week, a group led by scientists from Lumora published research in BMC Biotechnology demonstrating that the combined technologies — bioluminescent real-time reporter, or BART; and loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP — could identify products from genetically modified crops at low concentrations in the field.
Specifically, the researchers demonstrated that the combined assay could recognize 0.1 percent genetically modified contamination of maize, below the current EU limit of 0.9 percent.
Neogen last week said that it has launched a test to detect Salmonella in food and environmental samples using the company's ANSR system.
The ANSR system uses an isothermal amplification reaction to exponentially amplify the DNA of any bacteria present in food and environmental samples to detectable levels in only 10 minutes, Neogen said.
ANSR's single enrichment step allows it to provide DNA-definitive results for Salmonella in as little as 10 hours from the time the sample is taken. Other commercially available molecular amplification tests require up to 3 hours of reaction time, Neogen said.
The company is introducing the ANSR system this week at the joint Food Marketing Institute, American Meat Institute, United Fresh and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture conference in Dallas.
Salmonella is the first pathogen test available for the system. The company is also developing ANSR tests for Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains.