Life Science Consumables

Company Announcements

TriLink BioTechnologies, a Maravai LifeSciences company, announced in September that it plans to relocate and expand its operations, consolidating its San Diego facilities into a new 95,000 ft2 (8,826 m2) facility. The new facility will house the company’s current local staff of more than 150, and can accommodate growth to more than 350 R&D, commercial and manufacturing employees.

Product Introductions

In August, Empirical Bioscience introduced the EB Pure Agarose Gel Extraction Kit. The set is designed to quickly isolate small DNA fragments (70 bp–20 kb) from agarose gel in 15 min.

In September, Stream Bio and distributor 2B Scientific released Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticle molecular bioimaging probes, available in four emission wavelengths.

 

Gene-based Consumables

Company Announcements

In August, synthetic biology firm Oxford Genetics secured a multimillion pound contract with a global e-commerce provider of reagents and tools. As part of the agreement, Oxford Genetics will leverage its high-throughput automated genomic engineering platform for CRISPR modification of mammalian cell lines.

China-based genome editing technologies company EdiGene announced in August the completion of a $15 million series pre-B financing, led by new investor Lilly Asia Ventures.

In August, Diagenode, which provides complete solutions for epigenetics research and sample preparation, acquired NXT­Dx, a Belgium-based epigenetics service provider. NXT­Dx offers a broad variety of start­-to-­finish epigenetics services including a number of targeted DNA methylation assays for the screening of DNA methylation biomarkers.

Horizon Discovery announced in August that it has entered into a collaboration with a global pharmaceutical partner to co­develop and apply a novel research tool for target identification and validation using single-cell RNAseq-­linked pooled CRISPR screening.

For the half year, Horizon Discovery revenues rose 107.5%, 126% on a constant currency basis, to £25.1 million ($34.4 million) (see IBO 9/30/17). On a pro forma basis, sales grew 5.4% to £14.0 million ($19.2 million). Research products sales, which include Dharmacon, grew 665.0% to £15.3 million ($21.0 million). Applied products revenue increased 39.4% to £4.6 million ($6.3 million), with bioproduction revenue up 22.2% to £1.1 million ($1.5 million) and sales of molecular reference standards rising 45.8% to £3.5 million ($4.8 million). Services revenue declined 23.5% to £5.2 million ($7.1 million), as the company transitions away from its traditional screening services. Asia Pacific sales grew 175.0% to £3.3 million ($4.5 million).

In September, Agilent Technologies announced that is has filed a second amended complaint against Twist Bioscience and CEO Emily Leproust in its suit alleging breach of contract, breach of the duty of loyalty and misappropriation of trade secrets (see IBO 2/15/16). According to Agilent, the new complaint adds two additional defendants, Twist employee Siyuan Chen and former Twist employee Solange Glaize, and adds new facts. The complaint states, “Leproust and several other former Agilent employees who joined her at Twist . . . stole Agilent’s most sensitive documents. Using thumb drives, cloud accounts, and personal emails, Leproust, Chen, Glaize and other former Agilent employees stole hundreds of Agilent documents clearly marked ‘Confidential.'” Secondly, the complaint alleges that Dr. Leproust secretly accepted a position as CEO of Twist, yet remained an Agilent employee for 17 months. In response to Agilent’s latest statement, Twist Bioscience responded, “Agilent’s wholesale shift in its allegations, two-and-a-half years into its suit, reveals only the weakness of its claims. Agilent’s most recent allegations are gamesmanship, not substance. They omit that more than four months before it sought to change its complaint, Twist informed–and provided to Agilent–the irrelevant, passively retained documents referenced by Agilent in its proposed amendment. Discovery also afforded Agilent access to thousands of Twist’s technical documents, yet they have been unable to tie any Agilent document or information to Twist’s game-changing silicon technology.”

In September, Arbor Biosciences partnered with TATAA Biocenter, which will distribute and support of Arbor’s NGS and synthetic biology products in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. TATAA will also incorporate Arbor’s NGS products into its NGS training courses.

Thermo Fisher Scientific licensed in September CRISPR technologies from the Broad Institute and ERS Genomics (foundational University of California IP). Under the terms of the licenses, Thermo Fisher is granted global nonexclusive rights to products, tools and services for research.

Japan-based GenAhead Bio, a genome editing services business, licensed in September ERS Genomics’ CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology patents.

Meridian Bioscience Chairman John (Jack) A. Kraeutler retired, effective September 30. He was replaced by David C. Phillips.

In September, Cancer Genetics signed a supply agreement with Agilent Technologies under which Agilent will manufacture its proprietary FISH probe reagents. Agilent will supply Cancer Genetics with the custom probe for use in its FISH­-based HPV­-Associated Cancer Test (FHACT). Cancer Genetics also plans to out-license the probes through distribution channels.

In October, gene synthesis company EVONETIX announced a collaboration with LioniX, a provider of customized microsystem solutions in scalable production volumes, to scale up production of MEMs for DNA synthesis.

Product Introductions

In September, BIOTECON Diagnostics introduced two new real-time PCR tests, the foodproof Spoilage Yeast Detection 1 + 2 LyoKits for the detection of spoilage yeasts in beer, alcoholic mixed beverages and soft drinks.

Thermo Fisher Scientific announced in September that its portfolio of Invitrogen GeneArt products and services are now available in China.

In September, Horizon Discovery launched its Myeloid DNA Reference Standard for cost ­effective assay validation. It contains 22 mutations across 19 genes that are commonly associated with myeloid cancer. The company’s portfolio includes over one hundred reference standards.

In October, Cellecta introduced the CloneTracker XP Expressed Lentiviral Barcode Library and CloneTracker XP Barcoded CRISPR Library product lines for tracking clonal variations in large cell populations. The Libraries are designed to express an RNA transcript in the cells and thus can be detected by either DNA or RNA sequencing.

Sales and Orders of Note

In September, bioengineering company ATUM announced it extended its 2014 agreement with Archer Daniels Midland to apply its bioengineering technology and gene engineering platform to ADM’s process technologies.

Horizon Discovery announced in September that AstraZeneca has adopted its Edit-R crRNA libraries as part of AstraZeneca’s drive to establish a functional genomics discovery platform. AstraZeneca also joined the Genomics Discovery Initiative, a collaborative functional genomics screening community facilitated by Horizon.

 

Cell-based Consumables

Company Announcements

In August, CELLINK debuted a new Bioink containing BIOLAMINA’s BIOLAMININS laminin protein-based reagents for culturing cells in a 3D enviroment. Bioink can be mixed with living cells to print functional human tissues in so-called 3D-bioprinters.

In September, Hesperos received a $4 million, three-year Phase IIb Small Business Innovation grant from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to increase capacity for its human-on-a-chip technology, and to prepare its systems for regulatory approval utilizing advanced PKPD modeling capabilities.

Bioprinting firm Aspect Biosystems and JSR entered into a collaboration to develop human liver tissue. The companies will develop vascularized human liver lobules.

In September, Reaction Biology and Promega announced a new cell-based profiling service for drug discovery based on Promega’s NanoBRET technology. RBC is the first provider to create an entire NanoBRET panel as a service.

STEMCELL Technologies announced in September an exclusive license agreement with Brigham and Women’s Hospital for rights to commercialize technologies for the generation of hPSC-derived kidney organoids.

Product Introductions

In August, Greiner Bio-One North America launched a new line of Erlenmeyer shaker flasks. The shaker flasks feature a patented 2-in-1 DuoCAP, which allows for flexibility between vented and nonvented applications. The new product line’s volumes range from 125 mL to 3,000 mL capacity and are available with flat or baffled bottoms.

In October, Canopy Biosciences, a provider of gene editing and personalized medicine technologies, introduced a new catalog of over 2,000 sequence-verified knockout cell line clones in a variety of commonly used cell line backgrounds. They are provided as either live cells or cell lysates.

Ibidi introduced in October the μ-Plate 384 Well Clear, a microtiter plate that combines automated cell cultivation with high-resolution microscopy. Featuring a 50 μL volume per well, it is suitable for high-throughput applications.

 

Protein-based Consumables

Company Introductions

In September, Antibodies.com named Dr. Claire Button as CEO. She most recently served as a strategic advisor through Fusion Biomed.

In October, Avacta entered into a commercial license with New England Biolabs to commercialize a product using its Affimer technology for use in both life science research and diagnostics assays.

Product Introductions

In September, Olink Proteomics introduced the Olink NEURO EXPLORATORY biomarker panel, designed for discovery-scale application to 1,072 different protein biomarkers. The panel enables simultaneous measurement of 92 proteins using 1 μL of primarily plasma, serum or cerebrospinal fluid, as well as other types of human sample.

Rockland Immunochemicals launched in September the BioQuantiPro CHO-HCP ELISA Kit for the detection and screening of host cell protein contaminants in bioprocessing, stating that it provides the transparency into the data necessary to develop accurate bioprocessing standards with confidence

In October, Abcam debuted new phosphate buffered saline (PBS)­-only recombinant antibodies, which are free from preservatives and stabilizing agents.

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