Thermo Fisher Scientific agrees new partnership with IntegenX

Thermo Fisher Scientific is to give IntegenX rights to utilise a chemistry product from its Life Technologies subsidiary through a new partnership agreement.

The deal will see IntegenX receive permission to distribute Life's GlobalFiler Express chemistry on its RapidHIT platform. This combination conforms to recent recommendations from the US FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for an expanded set of genetic markers to maximise international DNA database compatibility.

Rapid DNA Technology enables samples to be analysed in less than two hours, as opposed to two to three weeks. Now, it will be able to incorporate the benefits of GlobalFiler Express, which includes 24 markers to deliver up to nine times the informative power of existing commercial kits.

Reducing sample-to-answer time to this degree will broaden its potential applications in law enforcement, war crimes investigations and immigration settings.

Nadia Altomare, vice-president and general manager for human identification at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said: "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."

GlobalFiler Express was one of several valuable brands that Thermo Fisher Scientific added to its portfolio when it completed its acquisition of Life Technologies earlier this month.