NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Co-Diagnostics said today that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire new mathematically enhanced PCR primer technology from DNA Logix.
The so-called cooperative primers are mathematically engineered to improve the specificity of PCR reactions up to 2.5 million-fold and are the subject of a paper published last week in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, Co-Diagnostics said.
The letter of intent also includes provisions for Co-Diagnostics to acquire all future developments by DNA Logix over the next five years.
Bountiful, Utah-based DNA Logix was founded by Brent Satterfield in order to commercialize an algorithmic approach to engineering cheaper and more efficient DNA testing technologies. Satterfield is also CTO at Salt Lake City, Utah-based Co-Diagnostics, which has become the commercial conduit for technologies developed at DNA Logix.
Last month DNA Logix transferred four patents to Co-Diagnostics related to various PCR primers and probes. This followed an agreement announced in April under which Co-Diagnostics acquired from DNA Logix certain DNA testing technologies for clinical, industrial, and biothreat applications.
"The DNA Logix staff has repeatedly used advanced mathematics to develop game-changing technology in the field of DNA diagnostics," Dwight Egan, CEO of Co-Diagnostics, said in a statement yesterday. "Our investment shows our commitment to advancing the boundaries of what is possible in this field."