Company Announcements

Under a partnership announced in February, AMS Biotechnology (AMSBIO) will distribute, market and sell Cellaria cell models and culture media in Europe.

In February, Muse bio, a developer of next generation genome engineering capabilities, completed a $23 million Series B financing, led by Venrock.

Solvias announced in March that it signed a 2016 supply agreement with Merck KGaA to distribute its monocyte activation test kit for detection of fever inducing pyrogens in pharmaceutical raw material and products, medical devices and other regulated products. The kit will launch this year.

In March, Addgene, a nonprofit biorepository operating a plasmid library for researchers, announced that Alnylam and New England Biolabs are founding sponsors of its new Viral Service, which was launched in late 2016.

Twist Bioscience raised an additional $33 million in March, bringing the total raised to $166 million.

In March, IncellDx released the CE-marked OncoTect iO Lung Kit, entering the immunotherapeutic diagnostic market in countries that accept the CE mark. The flow cytometry–based assay quantifies PD-L1 on both tumor cells and immune cell subtypes in non­–small cell lung cancer samples. It marks the company’s launch of a new family of multi-parametric molecular products for immune-oncology applications.

Product Introductions

In November 2016, StemTek Therapeutics launched the Cell2Sphere 3D cell culture kit, consisting of a 96-well plate with cancer stem cell–enriched single cells in each well and a specific cell culture medium.

In January, Takara Bio launched the In-Fusion Cloning Primer Design Tool, a free, online primer design tool powered by TeselaGen Biotechnology software. The method seamlessly joins together linear fragments of DNA in a single 15 minute reaction.

Neogen introduced in January the Reveal Q+ MAX test for six mycotoxins. The format uses only a water-based common extraction.

In February, Integrated DNA Technologies released the Alt-R A.s. Cpf1 CRISPR System, calling it a complete ribonucleoprotein-based Cpf1 CRISPR system. The company also introduced an associated range of support tools, extending the performance of its Alt-R system through options for fluorescent visualization, enhanced nuclease transfection and genome editing detection.

InSphero launched in February the GravityTRAP 384 Microtissue Platform, featuring distinct microtissue culture and media chambers separated by a tapered SureXchange pipetting ledge, and a continuous flat-bottomed glass base plate combined with a black-walled body. The company also offers contract model development services.

In February, Thermo Fisher Scientific released the Gibco StemFlex Medium, a PSC medium, designed for applications such as gene editing, single-cell passenging and reprogramming.

Greiner Bio-One North America released in February the CELLdisc, a multilayer device covering a range of cell culture surfaces from 1,000 cm² (155 in²) up to 1 m² (11 ft²). It is designed for automation and upscaling of mass cell culture.

In February, Precision NanoSystems introduced the Neuro9, Astro9 and iNeuro9 nonviral gene transfection kits for primary cells. They are optimized for delivery of siRNA, mRNA and plasmid DNA into various neural cell types.

Atlast Antibodies released in February over 4,000 new Triple A Polyclonals and their corresponding PrEST antigens, bringing its catalog to over 21,000 research antibodies.

In March, Agilent Technologies launched the GenetiSure Dx Postnatal Assay, a CGH assay for diagnostic use. It carries CE marking for IVD.

transOMIC technologies launched in March the transEDIT-dual CRISPR Arrayed Library, which allows researchers to target one gene with two different gRNAs for greater efficiency, and allows the gRNAs to be shuffled between vectors.

In March, Synthego released chemically modified synthetic gRNAs in its CRISPRevolution product family, including modified full length 100-mer synthetic sgRNAs.

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced in March the CarrierScan Assay, a high-throughput, microarray-based assay designed to detect more than six thousand genomic variations associated with inherited diseases for carrier-status research. The assay is run on the Applied Biosystems GeneTitan Multi-Channel instrument.