Company Announcements

Exiqon named four Centers of Excellence, which each provide services based on its products: TATAA Biocenter, Bioneer, AROS Applied Biotechnology and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Division of Health Research.

In July, New England Biolabs exclusively licensed specific SomaLogic SOMAmers as critical reagents for its current and future nucleic acid–amplification products. SOMAmers are specific protein-binding reagents based on chemically modified aptamers.

TriLink entered into a licensing agreement in July for the use of its CleanAmp dNTPs in Lucigen’s Taq98 Hot Start 2X MasterMix.

In September, Eppendorf licensed its patents covering gradient technology for thermal cyclers to Bulldog Bio.

In September, Orion Genomics licensed its MethylScreen technology for research use in QIAGEN’s EpiTect Methyl qPCR Array System reagent kits.

Life Technologies in September signed an agreement to distribute and commercialize Quidel’s Molecular Influenza A+B Real Time RT-PCR Assay and hMPV kits in the European market. Later this year, the companies expect to launch additional infectious disease kits in Europe.

Product Introductions

Bio-Rad Laboratories introduced in July the CFX96 and CFX384 Touch real time PCR detection systems, featuring large, color touch screens for setup and data display.

Bio-Rad launched in July the C1000 Touch thermal cycler with a new large color touch screen and a new 96 deep well block that can hold 0.2 mL or 05. mL tubes.

Bio-Rad released in July the compact, 96-well T100 thermal cycler, featuring a graphical touch screen.

In August, Bio-Rad launched the SsoAdvanced XYBR Green Supermix.

Bio-Rad released the iScript Advanced cDNA synthesis kit for RT-qPCR for the generation of more real-time PCR data from a single 20 µL reverse transcription reaction.

Life Technologies introduced in July the VetMAX-Gold Swine Influenza Virus Detection (SIV) Kit, the first USDA-approved, real time PCR test to detect a broad range of SIV.

In July, Cepheid introduced the redesigned GeneXpert family of thermal cycler systems, featuring a smaller footprint. They are available in one-, four- and 16- configurations, as well as a new two-module configuration. Also introduced was the redesigned Infinity-80 system, which is expected to be available in the fourth quarter in Europe and in the first half of 2012 in the US.

Exiqon launched in August two Focus miRNA PCR Panels for the quantification of miRNAs in serum/plasma and cancer samples.

Biometra, an Analytik Jena company, introduced the TProfessional Basic XL thermocycler, which is equipped with a 96-well XL block for volumes up to 100 µL.