NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — BioMérieux said today that it has signed a strategic agreement with Life Technologies to integrate Life Tech's 7500 range of thermocyclers into its molecular biology workflow for reference or centralized laboratory customers.
Specifically, BioMérieux will integrate Life Tech's ABI 7500, 7500 Fast, and 7500 Fast Dx instruments with its own NucliSens EasyMag sample purification platform and soon-to-be-launched EasyStream liquid handling system for PCR setup. BioMérieux said that it will offer its NucliSentral middleware to connect the platforms.
The combined offering, the company said, will enable centralized or reference labs to optimize testing flow by batches, to add standardization and traceability to further improve quality of results, and to add new modules and gradually invest according to their needs.
Further, users will be able to use their own laboratory-developed tests and perform custom multiplexed panels on the modular system. Most BioMérieux PCR assays, particularly for infectious diseases, are already validated on the ABI 7500 instruments, the company said.
"Our molecular biology solution will bring to our customers enhanced automation and unparalleled flexibility for improved care of patients in the field of infectious disease diagnostics," Alexandre Mérieux, corporate vice president of BioMérieux's microbiology and molecular biology unit, said in a statement.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.