PathoGenetix Delivers Bacterial Identification System to MRIGlobal for Evaluation
WOBURN, MASS (PRWEB) April 08, 2014 -- PathoGenetix™, Inc., developer of an automated system for rapid bacterial strain typing, announced today that it has delivered and installed an early commercial version of the RESOLUTION™ Microbial Genotyping System to MRIGlobal, an independent contract research organization. MRIGlobal has purchased the RESOLUTION System as part of a U.S. government-funded project, and will be evaluating use of the System for identification and strain typing of specific organisms using MRIGlobal-developed assays.
The RESOLUTION System is based on PathoGenetix’s proprietary Genome Sequence Scanning™ (GSS™) technology, which enables pathogen serotype identification and strain typing in just five hours, directly from complex mixtures such as environmental, clinical and enriched food samples. Initially developed to detect bio-threat pathogens in environmental samples under a five-year, $50-million contract through the Department of Homeland Security, the breakthrough GSS technology isolates and analyzes DNA direct from complex mixtures—without the need for a pure culture isolate. The strain type information provided by GSS is comparable in resolution to pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), one of the current gold standards for pathogen identification.
MRIGlobal and PathoGenetix have collaborated for several years in the ongoing evaluation of the GSS technology for biodefense applications. MRIGlobal has purchased a RESOLUTION System as part of a U.S. government-funded project, and will be evaluating the system for use in the rapid identification of specific organisms, using MRIGlobal-developed assays. The RESOLUTION instrument will be used to build a database for identification of select microorganisms. As one of the nation’s leading research institutes, MRIGlobal conducts programs in the areas of national security and defense, life sciences, energy and the environment, agriculture and food safety, and engineering and infrastructure.
“We are delighted to be one of the early adopters of the PathoGenetix technology,” said Michael Cassler, Ph.D., General Manager of MRIGlobal Dx, a division of MRIGlobal. “We see tremendous potential in its use for metagenomics analysis.”
Delivery of an early commercial stage instrument for the biodefense industry represents a key milestone in the product development and commercialization of the RESOLUTION System’s advanced microbial identification and strain typing capabilities, which have broad applicability in biodefense, food safety, industrial microbiology, and public health and research. A fully automated RESOLUTION System including instrument, bioinformatics software and database, and pathogen-specific assays will be commercially available 4Q-2014 for use in food safety testing and foodborne illness outbreak investigations.
“We are thrilled to reach this milestone in making Genome Sequence Scanning a reality for the biodefense community, in our continued efforts to commercialize this powerful technology for government and industry applications,” said PathoGenetix Vice President of Business Development, John Czajka, Ph.D.
PathoGenetix’s unique Genome Sequence Scanning technology is a decisive advance in microbial identification, providing strain-level identification of microorganisms from complex samples to enable fast, actionable information for informed decision-making. Because GSS works directly from complex samples, it can provides strain-level identification in just five hours, days sooner than current identification methods such as Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole or next generation sequencing. Yet GSS’s automated platform and simplified protocol required minimal training and ensure consistent results.
This year PathoGenetix also has delivered early commercial versions of the RESOLUTION System for evaluation in food industry safety testing and public health outbreak investigation and response. In February, PathoGenetix delivered a System to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess its in identifying pathogens involved in foodborne illness outbreaks, and in shortening decision and response time in public health investigations.
PathoGenetix also shipped a RESOLUTION System to Marshfield Food Safety, LLC, under an agreement with the Wisconsin-based microbiology- and chemistry-testing laboratory to conduct independent testing and feedback on use of the RESOLUTION System for pathogen confirmation and identification in food industry applications.
About PathoGenetix™, Inc.
PathoGenetix, Inc., is a commercial-stage developer of an automated system for rapid bacterial identification from complex samples. PathoGenetix is a venture-backed company that has received more than $50 million in technology development funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The company’s core Genome Sequence Scanning™ (GSS™) technology isolates and analyzes DNA directly from an enriched biological sample—without the need for a cultured isolate—and provides results in just five hours, days faster than current methods. GSS has broad applicability in biodefense, food safety, industrial microbiology, and public health and research. The first commercial GSS system, the RESOLUTION™ Microbial Genotyping System, will be available in 2014 for use in food safety testing and foodborne illness outbreak investigations. Learn more at http://www.pathogenetix.com.
About MRIGlobal Dx
MRIGlobal Dx provides fee-for-service assay development for menu expansion in in vitro and molecular diagnostics, validation and clinical testing, and platform engineering and integration. MRIGlobal Dx operates a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-laboratory accredited by the College of American Pathologists. MRIGlobal Dx is ISO 9001 certified and employs current Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Laboratory Practices, and maintains Biosafety Level 3 laboratories. For more information, visit http://www.mriglobaldx.com.
Mary Hawkins, PathoGenetix, Inc., http://www.pathogenetix.com, +1 802-291-0663, [email protected]
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