Omega Bio-tek Develops Automated DNA Purification For Mawi iSWAB-DNA

HAYWARD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mawi DNA Technologies, a biotechnology company focusing on the development of innovative technologies for biosampling, announces that Omega Bio-tek has successfully developed an automated DNA purification method from iSWAB-DNA with its Mag-Bind Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ chemistry on the Hamilton MicroLabStar automation platform. See video here http://bit.ly/1XJyoxe.

“When Omega Bio-tek collaborated with us to automate and optimize DNA extraction from iSWAB with its Mag-Bind kit, it validated our rapidly growing adoption in the market”

High quality human genomic DNA (gDNA) with low bacterial contamination is essential to obtaining meaningful data from modern DNA analysis techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing and Microarrays. Mawi DNA Technologies’ iSWAB buccal cell collection system is the only product on the market that actively reduces bacterial contamination of collected samples. When DNA from iSWAB is isolated using Omega Bio-tek’s Mag-Bind Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ chemistry, the result is long, double stranded fragments ideal for complex and sensitive assays. iSWAB and Mag-Bind can be fully automated on well known industry platforms such as the Hamilton MicroLabStar, enabling plug and play high throughput analysis.

“Customers are looking for gDNA from non-invasively collected samples, so we developed an automated method for isolating DNA from iSWAB-DNA samples using our Mag-Bind Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ Kit," said Travis Butts, Business Director with Omega Bio-tek. “Food particles in saliva samples can lead to processing failures, requiring us to centrifuge collected samples before processing. We don’t need to do this with the iSWAB-DNA collection devices.” He added that this results in increased overall operational efficiency and reduced failure rate. Using Mawi’s collection technology and Omega Bio-tek’s extraction chemistry, there is a seamless workflow for purifying high-quality DNA for demanding downstream applications.

“When Omega Bio-tek collaborated with us to automate and optimize DNA extraction from iSWAB with its Mag-Bind kit, it validated our rapidly growing adoption in the market,” said Dr. Bassam El-Fahmawi, President and CTO, Mawi DNA Technologies. "Partnerships with industry leaders such as Omega Bio-tek simplifies and increases the efficiency of global genetic research involving a wide range of population segments.” El-Fahmawi said that due to increased sample sizes in cohort genetic population studies, there is an increasing need for automated gDNA purification solutions. The Mag-Bind Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ from Omega Bio-tek streamlines this research step which can be a labor intensive process.

About Omega Bio-Tek

Since its founding in 1998, Omega Bio-tek, Inc. has been at the forefront of nucleic acid purification by offering products for clinical and basic research, biotechnology and agricultural applications. DNA and RNA extraction is the first step for so many downstream analyses, and efficient and clean nucleic acid isolation is crucial. Its goal is to offer high-quality products to help improve workflows whether using automation or processing manually. Omega Bio-tek believes that quality in equals quality out. Visit www.omegabiotek.com for more information on products and services

About Mawi DNA Technologies

Mawi DNA Technologies has developed and commercialized the iSWAB technology, an innovative system for collection of biosamples. Flagship product iSWAB-DNA has gained significant market traction due to its ability to be used for animals and all human population segments from infants to the elderly, with robust DNA yield and low bacterial DNA content. Mawi DNA has established relationships with children’s hospitals for neonatal screening and has an extensive global network of international distributors to market and sell iSWAB products. For more information, visit http://www.mawidna.com.