OpGen Announces Participation in New European Union Clinical Microbiology Research Consortium

OpGen Announces Participation in New European Union Clinical Microbiology Research Consortium

 

Project to Combine Next Generation Sequencing with Whole Genome Mapping to Genotype and Diagnose MRSA, Tuberculosis and Campylobacter Species

 

Gaithersburg,Md.—February 23, 2012—OpGen, Inc., a whole-genome analysis company developing and commercializing a complete suite of break-through products and services based on its proprietary Whole Genome Mapping technology, announced today the company's participation in the European Union's Patho-NGen-Trace Research program. This multi-year project aims to bring Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) from a specialized basic research method to a standard routine tool for medical and bio-industrial microbiology applications, providing fasterpathogen identification with whole sequence genetic characterization.   OpGen's Whole Genome Mapping technology will be used with NGS to generate more accurate sequences of the model pathogens,and to characterize genetic markers for drug-resistance, virulence and whole genome evolution that may not be detected by NGS alone.

 

Funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, the international consortium of leading experts in clinical microbiology will focus on developing NGS combined with Whole Genome Mapping as next generation DNA analysis tools that can be used for the genotyping and diagnosis of pathogens.Three pathogens will serve as models for the development project─Mycobacterium tuberculosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Campylobacter species. All three pathogens are found worldwide and pose a serious medical threat and an important challenge when it comes to their treatment.

 

 "We are very pleased to be a part of the international consortium and look forward to advancing the organization's long-term goal to control, predict and contain the spread of disease," said Douglas White, chief executive officer of OpGen. "Combining NGS with WholeGenome Mapping will provide powerful new DNA analysis tools to overcomeexisting obstacles facing microbiologists and scientists and translate intopublic health and clinical diagnostic applications."

 

Continuingadvances in sequencing technologies and the decreasing cost of sequencing haveresulted in vast amounts of data that must be assembled and analyzed. There isa growing backlog of sequence data resulting from the costly and time consumingbioinformatics and computing required to complete the assemblies and analysis. Transformingthis time- and resource-intensive process to a rapid, validated workflow couldbe adopted for routine use in public health epidemiology and diagnosticworkflows.

OpGen's Whole Genome Mappingtechnology has been shown to accelerate and streamline the sequence data analysis workflow.  This unique and powerful technology rapidly generates high-resolution,ordered, whole genome maps from single DNA molecules. The result is an easy-to-interpret view of the genome that reveals genome architecture in a single image and provides better accuracy forNGS applications.

 

About OpGen, Inc.

OpGen, Inc. is a leading innovator in rapid, accurate genomic and DNA analysis systems and services. The company's Argus® Whole GenomeMapping System, GenomeBuilder™ and MapIt® Services provide high resolution, whole genome maps for sequence assembly and finishing, strain typing and comparative genomics in the life sciences market. OpGen's powerful technology dramatically improves the quality of data and time-to results by providing sequence information from single DNA molecules more rapidly and less expensive than previously possible. The company is dedicated to positively influencing individual healthcare outcomes, advancing scientific research and enhancing public health by delivering precise, actionable information and results to customers in the life science and healthcare communities. OpGen'scustomers include leading genomic research centers, biodefense organizations,academic institutions, clinical research organizations and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit www.opgen.com.

 

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Dan Budwick
vice president, media relations
pure communications, inc.
ph: 973-271-6085
[email protected]
@DanBudwick