Bionano Genomics Genomic Analysis Tools Suite

Blueprint Genetics is now offering whole-exome sequencing to customers in the US. The assay has a minimum mean coverage of 100-fold. On average, 98.9 percent of gene-coding regions, captured with Agilent SureSelect V6, are covered at least 15-fold. The company confirms all clinically relevant variants by Sanger sequencing and its interpretation team includes clinical experts. Turnaround time for the assay, which comes in different versions, is six to nine weeks.

Horizon Discovery announced that it has expanded its functional genomic screening portfolio to include CRISPRi (interference) and CRISPRa (activation) screening services. Horizon's CRISPRi/CRISPRa screening platform substantially broadens the range of possible studies through the capacity to reduce or increase, rather than completely eliminating gene expression, the company said. This enables customers to address critical gaps in target ID and validation as they work to develop novel and more effective drug therapies. The screening capabilities are based on the company's highly optimised CRISPR knockout screening platform. Horizon has also developed an enhanced solution that combines both CRISPRi and CRISPRa screening. This combined solution can reveal 'switch'-like genes that display opposing effects when activated or inhibited in the presence of the drug of interest.

Qnostics launched the ME Evaluation Panel for meningitis/encephalitis evaluation. It consists of 14 controls for the qualitative detection of bacterial, viral, and fungal targets, including Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli K1, and others. The panel can be used to independently monitor each target and all phases of the testing process, Qnostics said, adding it was designed with known performance on the BioFire FilmArray platform. 

BC Platforms has introduced BC|RQUEST, a system for analyzing and viewing aggregated genomic and clinical data from multiple biobanks. The platform will be available to members of the Open Biobank Research Enhancement Alliance (OBREA), which Basel, Switzerland-based BC Platforms created.

DiaSorin Molecular has launched the Simplexa C. difficile Direct Assay in the US. The assay aids in the diagnosis of infection by detecting the C. difficile toxin B gene in liquid or unformed stool samples, and had been available outside the US since November. The US Food and Drug Administration cleared the test in February. 

Bio-Rad Laboratories has launched the ZDC Multiplex RT-PCR assay, a research-use only tool for the simultaneous screening of sample for Zika, dengue, and chikungunya arbovirus RNAs. The assay comes with all controls that researchers need to validate results internally. The RT-PCR kit was launched outside the US earlier this year. 

Tecan has launched the automated Resolvex A200 positive pressure workstation for LC-MS sample prep. The platform offers unattended positive pressure solid phase extraction, providing increased walkaway times for LC-MS sample preparation workflows. Eight-channel dispensing delivers a three-fold increase in speed compared to single-channel dispensing, and the touchscreen control enables straightforward integration into laboratory protocols. The system is compatible with Tecan's range of 96-well plate and column format smart consumables, including narrow bore extraction columns that transform an extraction column into a reaction vessel.