Roche, Basel, Switzerland, has acquired Stratos Genomics, Seattle, in a move designed to advance the development of Roche’s planned nanopore sequencer.
The acquisition provides Roche with access to Stratos Genomics’ unique chemistry, sequencing by expansion (SBX). Once developed, the Roche nanopore sequencer will utilize a novel approach that combines electronic and biological components to sequence DNA for fast, flexible, and cost-effective clinical diagnostic testing.
Thomas Schinecker, Roche Diagnostics.
“Roche is dedicated to creating innovative diagnostics for the most challenging clinical conditions, with techniques that are tailored to individual genetic and disease profiles,” says Thomas Schinecker, chief executive officer of Roche Diagnostics. “These solutions address the demands of research and clinical practice to deliver on the promise of personalized healthcare for patients.
“We look forward to further advancing our sequencing technology as we move to the next generation of healthcare and welcome the world-class scientists and employees from Stratos Genomics to Roche,” Schinecker adds.
Once fully developed, the SBX chemistry is expected to provide the healthcare community with an affordable, fast, and flexible result for multiple targeted clinical applications, as well as whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing.
“We are thrilled to join the Roche family, which will allow us to combine our unique sequencing by expansion chemistry with the Roche nanopore sequencer,” says Mark Kokoris, president and chief executive officer at Stratos Genomics. “With our combined expertise and complementary technologies, we are well positioned to open the path to deliver scalable, high-performance sequencing to clinicians and researchers.”
For more information, visit Roche and Stratos Genomics.
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