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ARUP Laboratories and IDbyDNA, a data analytics-driven metagenomics company, launched Explify Respiratory, a next-generation sequencing-based test for respiratory infections. Explify Respiratory detects more than 200 common and rare bacterial, fungal, and viral respiratory pathogens with a single test. It is powered by IDbyDNA's Taxonomer software, a DNA search engine that can rapidly identify any organism by its genetic material. The test is the first in a line of tests that the two companies plan to launch as part of a previously announced strategic partnership to develop and commercialize infectious disease testing using metagenomics.

Evosep introduced Evosep One, an optimized separation technology for mass spectrometers for large cohort experiments. Evosep One is designed for fast and robust separation of omics samples while enabling 24 hour operation at 200 samples a day. The product reduces cross-contamination through the use of disposable tips, and high flow rate during autosampler washing steps. According to the company, Evosep One also improves up-time and reliability through partial elution that leaves impurities from each sample on the disposable tips that act as pre-columns, and from low-pressure elution and gradient formation that causes less wear and tear.

Computational genomics firm Phosphorus launched a test for inherited conditions associated with vision loss and blindness, and a pharmacogenomic test to assess the efficacy of various drugs based on their genetic makeup. The ophthalmology genetic test covers retinal disorders, cataracts, glaucoma, and corneal dystrophy. The drug response test covers cardiology, psychiatry, oncology, pain management, neurology, immunology. gastroenterology, repiratory, infectious disease, and others. 

Variantyx launched the Variantyx Unity test, a genomic diagnostic test that identifies small sequence changes, structural variants, trinucleotide repeat expansions, and mitochondrial variants from a single DNA sample. The test uses whole-genome seuqncing data analyzed by the firm's Genomic Intelligence platform, and eliminates the need for multiple sequential tests, the firm said. 

Benson Hill Biosystems has launched CRISPR 3.0, a novel family of Cms1 nucleases, as part of its suite of genomics tools to accelerate crop performance improvements. The CRISPR 3.0 portfolio of nucleases demonstrate a shorter length than many other widely-used nucleases, enabling easier delivery, the firm said.

Becton Dickinson announced the launch of BD Rhapsody, a platform for single cell RNA analysis. According to BD, the system consists of reagents, instruments, and software for targeted gene expression analysis of ten of thousands of individual cells. The platform will also expand beyond RNA expression to include protein detection. BD will offer both application-specific targeted panels and enable customers to design their own custom, targeted panels.

Eurofins Genoma has introduced GeneSafe, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for both de novo and inherited single-gene disorders. Current commercial NIPTs only screen for aneuploidies and microdeletions, the firm said. GeneSafe identifies fetal conditions that could be missed by traditional prenatal testing, detecting more than 40 severe genetic disorders that may occur in the absence of a family history of the condition. The company said it also detects disorders with an increased prevalence associated with advanced paternal age. The test requires a small blood sample and has a turnaround time of 10 days. It works as a complementary screen to traditional NIPT, providing a more complete picture of the risk of a pregnancy being affected by a genetic disorder, the company noted.