Summary: QIAGEN has launched 35 new wet-lab tested digital PCR Microbial DNA Detection Assays for its QIAcuity platform, targeting a broad spectrum of pathogens and enhancing microbial research capabilities.

Takeaways

  1. The new assays cover critical pathogens causing tropical diseases, STIs, and UTIs, significantly expanding QIAGEN’s microbial detection portfolio to over 680 targets, including bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogens.
  2. Available on QIAGEN’s GeneGlobe platform, these assays support precise and sensitive detection of microbial DNA, enabling better monitoring and intervention during infectious disease outbreaks.
  3. QIAGEN plans further expansions with at least 100 new dPCR assays, including LNA Mutation Assays and CNV Probe assays, to be released later in 2024, addressing evolving research needs.

QIAGEN announced the launch of 35 new wet-lab tested digital PCR Microbial DNA Detection Assays for its digital PCR (dPCR) platform QIAcuity, significantly enhancing its offerings in the field of microbial research. The new assays are available on QIAGEN’s comprehensive research platform GeneGlobe and are designed to target a wide range of pathogens responsible for tropical diseases, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs), further solidifying QIAGEN’s position as a leader in microbial detection and analysis.

The expansion introduces assays for critical pathogens including Dengue virus Serotype 1 to 4, Monkeypox clade I and II, Chikungunya as well as pathogens causing other tropical diseases such as Malaria and various STIs and UTIs, says QIAGEN. This addition brings QIAGEN’s total microbial dPCR assay portfolio to over 680 targets, encompassing bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral pathogens as well as genes associated with antibiotic resistance or virulence factors. These assays are part of a broader expansion plan of QIAGEN’s wet-lab-tested dPCR assay portfolio on GeneGlobe. Later in 2024, new dPCR LNA (locked nucleic acid) Mutation Assays and dPCR CNV (copy number variation) Probe assays will be made available, adding at least 100 dPCR assays in total throughout the year.

“Through this significant expansion of our digital PCR assay offerings, we are addressing the pressing research needs and feedback from our customers,” says Nitin Sood, senior VP, head of the Life Sciences Business Area at QIAGEN. “Digital PCR is proving to be a valuable tool in the fight against microbial pathogens, offering high sensitivity and precise quantification. Our aim is to enable research laboratories around the world to achieve more accurate and sensitive detection of microbial DNA, advancing our understanding and control of infectious diseases.”

Digital PCR Microbial DNA Detection Assays

QIAGEN’s newly launched digital PCR Microbial DNA Detection Assays can be a timely response to public health crises like infectious disease outbreaks as they enable the precise and sensitive detection of pathogens, facilitating prompt intervention measures and monitoring of the disease spread. This can finally improve patient outcomes and underlines the essential role of microbial research in tackling health threats.

Further reading: QIAGEN Gets FDA Clearance for Respiratory Syndromic Test Panel

QIAGEN’s QIAcuity digital PCR platform utilizes nanoplates to disperse a sample into thousands of tiny partitions and then reads the reaction in each one simultaneously to quantify even the faintest signals from DNA and RNA, enabling the sensitive and specific detection of even the smallest copy number changes in DNA and RNA, up to 5-plex. The system integrates partitioning, thermocycling, and imaging into a streamlined workflow, reducing processing times from six hours to just two. Available in one, four, and eight-plate versions, the QIAcuity platform is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of laboratory sizes and throughput requirements.

Photo: QIAGEN