CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Technologies today announced it has signed an agreement giving IntegenX Inc. the rights to distribute Life’s GlobalFiler Express chemistry on IntegenX’s RapidHIT™ platform.
Recent recommendations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) called for an expanded set of genetic markers to maximize international DNA database compatibility. The combination of RapidHIT and GlobalFiler is the first Rapid DNA Technology to fulfill this recommendation.
Rapid DNA Technology enables samples to be analyzed in less than two hours, as opposed to two to three weeks. Such a dramatic reduction in sample-to-answer time has major ramifications for law enforcement, war crimes investigations and immigration. The innovative design of the GlobalFiler Express chemistry includes 24 markers to deliver up to nine times the informative power of existing commercial kits.
“As global forensic DNA databases rapidly expand, so does the need for more discriminating short tandem repeat (STR) multiplexes that can maximize loci overlap,” said Robert Schueren, President and Chief Executive Officer of IntegenX. “That’s why we’ve partnered with Life Technologies to integrate GlobalFiler Express kits into the RapidHIT cartridges.”
The GlobalFiler Express chemistry contains all the genetic markers recommended for inclusion by the CODIS Core Loci Working Group, including 10 additional markers commonly used in Europe to reduce the risk of chance matches while enabling more effective data sharing among countries.
The product features a proprietary six-dye chemistry designed for maximum database compatibility and enables samples to be processed five times faster than other solutions on the market. It also facilitates quicker amplification of challenging samples, such as degraded human remains.
“One of the great values of GlobalFiler Express is the intelligent design that looks to the future — enhancing discrimination power while also offering the best compatibility and concordance with the historical set of 40 million STR profiles registered in many national DNA databases around the world,” said Antonio Alonso, Project Manager, IDNADEX, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Madrid, Spain.
“The superior quality of the data obtained from GlobalFiler Express kits has proven to be a transformative solution for forensic labs,” said Nadia Altomare, vice president and general manager, Human Identification, for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Our partnership with IntegenX brings together the industry’s most powerful chemistry and the leading rapid platform to help forensic laboratories and law enforcement agencies solve and prevent crimes.”
For more than 25 years, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Life Technologies innovations have enabled scientists to maximize their use of DNA to establish identity and solve crimes. Today, the company offers the most robust, reliable, and trusted forensic solutions for human identification (HID) testing under the Applied Biosystems brand—and it is the only company that designs and validates its reagents, instruments, and data analysis software together as an integrated system for HID testing.
To learn more, please visit www.lifetechnologies.com/globalfiler.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Our four premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
