BEVERLY, Mass. & MARCO ISLAND, Fla.--Enzymatics, Inc., a leading producer of molecular biology reagents, kits, assays and software, today unveils Archer™ Targeted Sequencing technology, which dramatically enhances gene mutation identification and discovery with high sensitivity and reduced costs. The technology is being announced during the Advances in Genome Biology & Technology (AGBT) conference, which is recognized throughout the sequencing community as a cornerstone for the discussion of genomics research.
“The rise of next generation sequencing (NGS) and advances in understanding the complex roles of genetic mutations in disease are creating a wealth of new opportunities for molecular detection in disease diagnosis, biomarker detection, drug discovery and development, and biomedical research. Existing technologies, however, have not been sufficiently robust, scalable or cost-effective to support expanded use of sequencing,” said Jason Myers, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Enzymatics. “Archer Targeted Sequencing Technology addresses the growing need for novel NGS based assays. Archer captures and amplifies only gene targets of interest and offers dramatic enhancements in scalability, mutation detection speed, complex mutation identification and reduced costs.”
Archer Targeted Sequencing technology is based on Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP™) and proprietary Archer™ Analysis Pipeline software. AMP is a new and innovative method that offers rapid, economical and scalable targeted library construction for NGS. The software analyzes sequence data and generates a simple, multitiered report of all mutations in the target sequences and does not require any programming expertise.
“Archer technology is part of Enzymatics’ commitment to developing innovative tools to enable the growth of NGS,” said Ian Ratcliffe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enzymatics. “Archer complements and expands our exciting business in high quality reagents and supply chain solutions for the sequencing community.”
Enzymatics obtained Archer technology in 2013 when it acquired ArcherDx of Boulder, Colo.
First Applications are ALK, RET, ROS1 Fusion Detection Kit and Custom Panel Designs
The Archer™ ALK, RET, ROS1 Fusion Detection Kit is a targeted sequencing assay that simultaneously detects and identifies fusions of human ALK, RET and ROS1 genes for oncology research. Archer kits, including the ALK, RET, ROS1 kit, feature the efficient, lyophilized AMP assay, require only tens of nanograms of total nucleic acid isolated from FFPE, fresh frozen tissue or blood, and are 100% compatible with both Ion Torrent™ and Illumina® sequencing platforms. Total hands-on time for eight samples is less than 70 minutes.
“Fusions of ALK, RET and ROS1 are of high interest to the oncology research community, because they represent an important class of genomic rearrangements in cancer,” said Jason Myers, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Enzymatics. “These fusions involve many potential breakpoints and multiple possible fusion partners. Archer technology is unique because it detects known and novel gene fusions in a single, multiplex assay, without prior knowledge of breakpoints or fusion partners.”
In addition to the Archer ALK, RET, ROS1 Fusion Detection Kit, Enzymatics offers oncology researchers the opportunity to develop their own custom Archer assays for a variety of applications including RNA gene fusion detection, RNA abundance, copy number variation, single nucleotide variants and insertion/deletion detection. Proprietary assay design software selects the ideal AMP primers. The company’s rapid development of assays enables custom kits to be shipped within 3 weeks.
Note: Archer kits and analysis software are for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Enzymatics
Enzymatics is a leading producer of sample preparation reagents, assays, kits and software for life science research and applied science customers worldwide. We are experts in the fields of DNA sequencing and PCR, and our business units include:
* Reagents
* Supply Chain Solutions
* Applied Science
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
