CLC Bio, Ion Torrent Systems, and Aarhus University Hospital will collaborate to develop information technology for sequencing-based molecular diagnostics under a $2 million grant from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, the Danish bioinformatics firm said this week.
The aim of the three-year project is to develop an integrated software and hardware solution to analyze patient DNA samples using "fast and cheap sequencing options."
According to CLC Bio, it will lead to an IT solution for molecular diagnostics research, as well as for clinical diagnostics in hospitals and clinics.
Alan Williams, vice president of software and informatics at Ion Torrent, said in a statement from CLC Bio that the fast run time of the firm's PGM sequencer, scheduled to be launched later this year, makes it "ideal to be part of this molecular diagnostics project."
Torben Ørntoft, a professor of molecular medicine at Aarhus University Hospital, said that a fast turnaround time for sequencing results would allow him and his colleagues to start treatments or preventive measures earlier than currently possible.
An Ion Torrent spokesperson declined to provide further information on the company's role in the collaboration at this time.
CLC Bio representatives were unavailable for comment before press time.