Luminex, HTG launch qBead Gene Expression Assay

Luminex Corporation (Nasdaq: LMNX), the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, and High Throughput Genomics, Inc. (HTG), provider of the quantitative Nuclease Protection Assay (qNPA™), today launched a new custom gene expression product, the qBead Gene Expression Assay (qBead Assay). The companies co-developed the product and have signed an exclusive distribution agreement in which Luminex will begin offering it to the research community.

"Advances in discovery through sequencing and high-density arrays have driven significant growth in the mid-plex custom gene expression research market," said TJ Johnson, CEO of HTG. "Scientists in this area validate gene expression signatures and screen established panels.  They often need custom assays that allow them to quickly and accurately measure a select set of genes in many samples. With the qBead Assay, HTG and Luminex have joined forces to meet this need."

The new qBead Assay places HTG's proven qNPA™ chemistry on the Luminex xMAP® Technology multiplexing platform.  The result is a high-throughput assay with a simplified workflow that requires no extractions, cDNA synthesis or amplifications.  The qBead assay is uniquely suited for scientists who need to get high quality gene expression data from degraded samples or difficult samples such as Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) and other fixed tissues where RNA quality is an issue.

Researchers can order a qBead Assay that is custom-tailored to their genes of interest and optimized for their sample type.

"The combination of xMAP Technology from Luminex and the qBead Assay represents an advance for many scientists, including cancer researchers who perform retrospective studies on large numbers of archived samples," said Patrick J. Balthrop, president and CEO of Luminex.  "Luminex is excited to partner with HTG to leverage our scientific and technical expertise and respective technologies to create high-throughput, custom assays that will advance the work of researchers in the critical, growing mid-plex custom gene expression research arena."

Custom qBead Assays employ Luminex's MagPlex® magnetic beads.  They allow multiplexed measurement of multiple gene expression signatures per sample that have the opportunity to run on the thousands of Luminex 100/200™ instruments installed, and can utilize the high-throughput, 500-gene multiplexing capability of the new Luminex FLEXMAP 3D® instrument.