Towards high-throughput molecular diagnostics
high-throughput sample preparation system for Protedyne's BioCube
systems used for nucleic acid purification,writes Wai Lang
Chu.
The partnership will see the two companies working together to develop additional tools for Protedyne's foundation technology, the BioCube system, that facilitates vacuum-based DNA purification, as well as enzymatic and immunoassays, cell-based screening and gene expression and genotyping.
The BioCube system, which is available in three sizes to suit the required productivity and capacity, underwent system enhancements at the start of this year to include high-capacity tip and plate stacking, tip washing and CO2 incubation.
Greg Endress, Protedyne's chief scientific officer, said: "The combination of purification chemistries and automation will enable the quick processing of patient samples. It also permits the rapid movement of samples into a number of molecular diagnostic tests."
The collaboration is a response to industry needs for greater throughput and is set to combine Qiagen's proprietary nucleic acid sample preparation and handling technologies with Protedyne's industrial laboratory automation solutions.
Dr Solveigh Mahler, manager of investor relations at Qiagen said: "There was certainly a need to develop an ultra high-throughput sample preparation system as the demand from customers was there."
"This technology will be aimed at the molecular diagnostics market and clinical research labs. Pharmaceutical labs may also be interested. Generally any procedures that require a high throughput would find this system very useful."
Mahler told DrugResearcher.com that the new ultra high throughput procedure was based on Qiagen's QIAprep technology range. This consists of silica gel-membrane technology (with or without lysate filtration) and silica technology with magnetic beads (MagAttract).
Examples of its applications with high-purity DNA include capillary sequencing and radioactive sequencing cloning,
Mahler added: "The development is intended to focus on future opportunities in the diagnostic and research market where ultra high throughput systems will become increasingly important."
Dr. Frank Krieg-Schneider, director strategic alliances at Qiagen, added: "We believe that Qiagen is adding to the molecular diagnostics markets and boosting development of standardised and efficient solutions in these emerging and rapidly growing markets."
Qiagen's launch of this product is a response to the industry and the emergence of diagnostic technology that will need the inclusion of fully automated ultra high-throughput sample preparation systems. It is not a question of 'if' but 'when' this type of equipment becomes standard in such diagnostic techniques.
"We would expect to launch this technology either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year," said Mahler.
"There are plans to release additional products as a result of this collaboration. The high throughput system we're developing needs additional molecular and diagnostic technology to complement its features."
