NEW YORK – The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has approved Qiagen's next-generation sequencing-based ForenSeq Mainstay workflow. The high-throughput workflow is able to process 96 samples in one run and includes a kit targeting 52 autosomal and Y-STR DNA markers. It also includes the MiSeq FGx Sequencing System and the ForenSeq Mainstay Analysis Module. The FBI approval allows accredited forensic laboratories to process DNA casework samples and search resulting profiles against the US National DNA Index System database to help solve criminal investigations.
Mainz Biomed this week announced that Bioclinica has joined its network of laboratories offering Mainz's ColoAlert at-home colorectal cancer test. As a result, the test will become available to patients in Romania, where Bioclinica has 15 associated labs and 146 collection points in the country, according to Germany-based Mainz.
Quest Diagnostics said this week that it has completed its acquisition of Haystack Oncology. Haystack has developed a minimal-residual disease testing technology that uses circulating tumor DNA to aid in the detection of residual or reoccurring cancer and inform treatment decisions. Quest plans to incorporate Haystack's technology into a new blood-based clinical lab service for solid tumor cancers that will be available beginning in 2024. Quest originally announced in April that it was acquiring Haystack for up to $450 million in cash.
Becton Dickinson announced this week that it will sell its surgical instrumentation business to STERIS for $540 million. The divesture comprises V. Mueller, Snowden-Pencer, and Genesis branded products and three manufacturing facilities located in St. Louis, Cleveland, and Tuttlingen, Germany. Approximately 360 employees who support this platform will transfer to STERIS upon the completion of the transaction, which is expected to close within BD's fiscal year 2023, ending Sept. 30, pending satisfaction closing conditions and US Federal Trade Commission regulatory approval.
In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared on GenomeWeb.