Roche Acquires Stratos Genomics to Advance Nanopore Sequencing for Clinical Diagnostics

May 23, 2020 News /BioValleyBIOON/ -- Roche recently announced that it has acquiredNanoStratos Genomics, a nanopore sequencing developer, to further develop forDiagnosisDNA sequencing services. The acquisition amount was not disclosed.

Generated through individual DNA sequencingGenomicsInsights into Future Personalized Medicine and Clinical PracticeDiagnosiswill play a key role. Roche is committed to developing aNanoNanopore sequencer, designed to provide the medical community and ultimately patients with faster and more accurate medical information for risk prediction and disease detection.This investment supplements RocheNanoDevelopment of nanopore technology, with the aim of providing from patient samples toDiagnosisEnd-to-end sequencing solutions for results.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA, Stratos Genomics is an early-stage sequencing technology company that has developed a technology platform called Sequencing by Expansion (SBX). This is a rapid nanopore DNA sequencing technology capable of generating results within 60 minutes, with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. SBX technology can be used forTumorTargeted testing and whole-genome testing, for rapidDiagnosisDisease.

SBX is a fourth-generation DNA sequencing technology that employs simple biochemical reactions to encode the sequence of DNA molecules into “a highly measurable alternative polymer, called an Xpandomer, in which the signal from each DNA base is amplified 50-fold.” These Xpandomer polymers are then threaded through nanopores, where sequence information is encoded with a high signal-to-noise ratio. SBX technology enables single-molecule sequencing on low-cost nanopore sequencers. This approach eliminates the extensive sample preparation procedures required by other sequencing technologies, and the entire process is rapid, taking less than an hour, thereby enabling rapidDiagnosisand treatment become possible.

This acquisition will provide Roche with access to Stratos Genomics’ proprietary SBX chemical technology platform. Once developed, Roche’s nanopore sequencer will employ a novel approach combining electronic and biological components to sequence DNA, enabling rapid, flexible, and cost-effective clinicalDiagnosisTest.

Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, stated: “Roche is committed to leveraging technologies tailored to individual genetic and disease characteristics to create innovative solutions for the most challenging clinical conditions.”DiagnosisMethods. These solutions will meet the needs of research and clinical practice, fulfilling the promise of delivering personalized healthcare services to patients. We look forward to further advancing our sequencing technologies as we move toward next-generation healthcare, and we welcome the world-class scientists and employees of Stratos Genomics, Inc. to Roche.”

The integration of SBX Chemistry, once fully developed, will enable whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing as well as multi-target clinical applications.It is expected to provide the medical community with an affordable, rapid, and flexible solution.

Mark Kokoris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stratos Genomics, Inc., stated, “We are delighted to join the Roche family, which will enable us to integrate our proprietary SBX chemistry with Roche’s nanopore sequencers. Leveraging our expertise and complementary technologies, we are well-positioned to deliver scalable, high-performance sequencing solutions to clinicians and researchers.”

Stratos Genomics will continue to operate in Seattle, Washington, USA. The financial details of this acquisition agreement were not disclosed.(Bioon.com)

Original Source: Roche acquires Stratos Genomics to further develop DNA-based sequencing for diagnostic use