Company Announcements

Idaho Technology changed its name in August to BioFire Diagnostics.

In September, BioFire Diagnostics completed a $25 million financing with Athyrium Opportunities Fund.

EnviroLogix named John N. Marker, formerly a manufacturing general manager at GE Healthcare, president and CEO in October.

RainDance Technologies announced in October a collaboration with Integrated DNA Technologies to develop reagents for its RainDrop Digital PCR System.

Product Introductions

GE Healthcare introduced in July the new illustra Ready-To-Go GenomiPhi whole genome amplification kits, featuring a predispensed, room temperature–stable formulation and improved yields.

Affymetrix released in August the SensationPlus FFPE Amplification and 3’ IVT Labeling Kit, consisting of RNA amplification and labeling modules, to enable gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples on GeneChip 3’ in vitro transcription arrays.

In August, Neogen launched the ANSR (amplified nucleic single temperature reaction) for Listeria test, which provides results after 20 minutes of reaction time.

New England Biolabs released in August the Q5 High-Fidelity DNA Polymerase for high fidelity amplification across a broad range of amplicons. A hot-start version and a formulation to meet the needs of amplification of next-generation sequencing libraries are also available.

Bio-Rad Laboratories introduced in August new PrimePCR assays and panels that were tested in the lab to meet the minimum information for publication of quantitative real-time PCR experiments (MIQE) guidelines.

In August, Sigma-Aldrich’s Sigma Life Science business released KiCqStart Primers, a series of unique primer pairs designed for quantifying gene expression with two-step or one-step SYBR Green I RT-qPCR.

In September, Life Technologies launched the GlobalFiler and GlobalFiler Express DNA kits, which increase the number of genetic markers by over 30% to 24. The kits enable 48 samples to be processed in under two hours when combined with the company’s forensic testing system.

Promega released in September the PowerPlex Fusion System, a 24-locus multiplex test for forensic analysis.

In October, Promega introduced the GoTaq Probe PCR Master Mix, GoTaq 1-Step RT-qPCR System and GoTaq Probe 2-Step RT-qPCR System, ready-to-use 2x master mixes for simplifying the preparation of reactions for qPCR using hydrolysis probe detection.

Roche launched in October the RealTime ready cDNA Pre-Amp Master & Primer Pools, a ready-to-use hot-start reaction mix for preamplifying 1–250 ng of cDNA from FFPE tissue samples from RNA isolation, micro-dissections, fine needle biopsies or rare cells.