Polymerase Chain Reaction News and Research

RSS

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a revolutionary laboratory technique that enables the replication of a specific DNA sequence. Using PCR, millions of copies of a target DNA can be easily synthesized within a short period of time.

Roche Molecular Systems receives FDA clearance for new LightCycler MRSA Advanced Test

Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its new LightCycler® MRSA Advanced Test for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for clinical use in the United States.

9 Jul 2010

TLR4 may provide new strategy for treating patients with PDAC: Study

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly malignant digestive tumor with a very poor prognosis. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α is involved in malignant progression in many solid tumors, including PDAC, upregulation of HIF-1α accelerates PDAC progression, but the exact regulatory mechanisms of HIF-1αin PDAC has not been unequivocally addressed.

28 Jun 2010

Merck proposes to initiate Phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of posaconazole for chronic Chagas disease

Merck today announced plans to initiate a Phase II investigational proof-of-concept clinical study to evaluate its oral antifungal agent posaconazole for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Chagas disease results from infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that is spread by biting insects. The disease is estimated to affect approximately eight million people in Latin America, of whom approximately 30-40 percent will develop serious cardiac disease, digestive disease, or both as a result of this infection.

24 Jun 2010

OvaGene Oncology opens new advanced molecular research and clinical laboratory facility

OvaGene Oncology Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the development and commercialization of personalized DNA-based diagnostics for gynecologic cancer, announced today the opening of its new clinical and research laboratory in Irvine, California. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as the central headquarters for operations, research, and molecular clinical lab testing.

23 Jun 2010

Exiqon licenses LNA technology to BD for diagnosing infectious diseases

Exiqon A/S, today announced that it has granted a non-exclusive license to BD to use Exiqon's proprietary locked nucleic acids technology in defined products for infectious disease diagnostics.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 21 Jun 2010

Pervasive bacterial presence unique to contaminated drywall identified

RealTime Laboratories, LLC announced today significant new findings regarding pervasive bacterial presence unique to contaminated drywall. RealTime has identified specific bacteria found only in symptomatic drywall and not in normal domestic drywall that are viable, pervasive and produce hydrogen sulfide and reduced sulfur gases under conditions similar to those found in residences.

16 Jun 2010

Purdue University researchers develop potential new tool for medical diagnostics, testing food

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a potential new tool for medical diagnostics, testing food and water for contamination, and crime-scene forensics.

9 Jun 2010

Quintiles announces comprehensive suite of PI3K biomarker assays

Quintiles today announced a comprehensive suite of biomarker assays to help biopharmaceutical companies investigate the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) cancer survival pathway, the focus of numerous anti-cancer therapies under development. Understanding the PI3K pathway is essential in developing new medicines to inhibit or block this pathway, thereby cutting off a metabolic function needed for certain cancers to survive.

8 Jun 2010

Celera applies CE mark to real-time PCR test for detection of variant in KIF6 gene

Celera Corporation today announced that it has signed a Declaration of Conformity and applied the CE mark to a real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for detection of a variant in the KIF6 gene, allowing the test to be marketed in the European Union and other geographic areas that recognize the CE Mark.

7 Jun 2010

BD Diagnostics receives 510(k) clearance to market GBS assay on BD MAX System

BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD, announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the BD MAX™ GBS Assay for Group B Streptococcus on the BD MAX System. The BD MAX System is a next-generation automated workstation for molecular testing designed to streamline workflow and offer full walkaway automation to accommodate varying workloads for maximum lab efficiency and flexibility.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 3 Jun 2010

Thermo Fisher Scientific to acquire Fermentas International for $260M

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fermentas International Inc. - a manufacturer and global distributor of enzymes, reagents and kits for molecular and cellular biology research - for $260 million in cash, subject to a post-closing adjustment. With headquarters in Burlington, Ontario, and principal operations in Vilnius, Lithuania, Fermentas has approximately 500 employees.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 28 May 2010

ifp Institut für Produktqualität sells molecular biological, PCR-based food test product line to QIAGEN

The Berlin-based diagnostics company ifp Institut für Produktqualität has sold its molecular biological, PCR-based food test product line to QIAGEN at a price not revealed. QIAGEN has purchased all the required patents and licences and will immediately begin to market and distribute the newly acquired portfolio of 70 molecular biological tests. With the support of this powerful and experienced partner in food diagnostics ifp can now make available its expertise in food analytics globally.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 26 May 2010

QIAGEN acquires rights to 70 molecular food safety tests developed by Institute for Product Quality

QIAGEN today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Institute for Product Quality (ifp), pursuant to which QIAGEN has acquired all rights to 70 molecular food safety tests developed by the Berlin-based specialized laboratory center for food analysis.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 26 May 2010

FDA issues 510(k) clearance to Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test on 3M Integrated Cycler

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued 510(k) clearance to the Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test on the 3M Integrated Cycler. The Simplexa test, developed and manufactured by Quest Diagnostics' Focus Diagnostics business, is the first to be cleared by the FDA for use as an aid in the detection and differentiation of influenza A and 2009 H1N1 influenza viral RNA.

25 May 2010

Health Canada grants Response Biomedical Class 3 Medical Device license for RAMP RSV Assay

Response Biomedical Corporation today announced that it has been granted a Class 3 (near patient/point-of-care) Medical Device license by Health Canada to market its RAMP® Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Assay in Canada.

18 May 2010

UGA researchers discover SERS method to identify rotavirus strains, genotypes

Using nanotechnology and a patented signal enhancing technique developed at the University of Georgia, UGA researchers have discovered a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method to detect and identify a number of rotavirus strains and genotypes in less than one minute with greater than 96 percent accuracy.

14 May 2010

Roche launches cobas(R) 4800 System in Canada for testing CT, NG and HPV

Roche Diagnostics Canada announced today the launch of a new Health Canada approved clinical laboratory system designed to increase laboratory testing efficiency and to accommodate current and long-term molecular diagnostic needs. The cobas(R) 4800 System combines in vitro diagnostic tests for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with fully-automated sample preparation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 7 May 2010