NEW YORK — MicroGenDx said on Wednesday that it has acquired next-generation sequencing laboratory RTL Genomics.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
MicroGenDx, which provides sequencing- and PCR-based microbial testing for clinical diagnostic applications, said the deal would help expand its capabilities in nonclinical primary research.
MicroGenDx said it has built a reference database of over 50,000 microbial species based on ITS and 16S sequencing and that the addition of RTL will help it create a similar database with whole-genome sequencing.
"Developing a comprehensive reference database for shotgun sequencing is our long-term goal," Eric Rees, MicroGenDx's chief technology officer, said in a statement. "By evaluating and comparing the bioinformatic performance of our clinical and research workflows, we can now expand datasets and refine our software for both much more rapidly."
MicroGenDx and RTL, both based in Lubbock, Texas, were originally divisions of Southwest Regional PCR. They were spun off into separate businesses in 2017.