Luminex donates new MAGPIX system to Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research

Luminex Corporation (Nasdaq: LMNX), the worldwide leader in multiplexed solutions, today announced it has donated the first commercial unit of its newly launched MAGPIX® instrument to Professor Peter Siba and his scientific team at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research. The instrument will be used onsite in Papua New Guinea to progress malaria research led by Dr. Peter Zimmerman, Professor of International Health, Genetics and Biology at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University. Malaria has long been a leading cause of death in Papua New Guinea and is a significant public health challenge in the nation.  

"The clinicians and researchers at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research have struggled for many years to build an infrastructure to effectively combat malaria," said Dr. Zimmerman. "The MAGPIX system will help us to establish a better infrastructure across the rural nation and advance malaria research more quickly. It offers many efficiencies in a lab, and because the instrument is small and easy to transport and set up, we will be able to take it to even very remote locations where we need to conduct research."

Luminex created the MAGPIX system with facilities such as the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research in mind. The instrument is compact – comparable in size to a desktop computer – and weighs less than 40 lbs. or 18 kg.  It is easy to install out of the box and can be deployed anywhere in the world.  

The MAGPIX system will be initially installed in the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research's main facility in Goroka and then transported several hours, across Papua New Guinea's rugged and uncertain terrain, to its Madang branch where both laboratory and field aspects of the Institute's research on malaria take place.  

MAGPIX is based on Luminex's xMAP® Technology and can perform up to 50 tests on a single sample, providing nearly 5,000 data points in under an hour utilizing proprietary MagPlex® microspheres. It provides fast, accurate and easily reproducible results and can advance many types of scientific research. With its ability to perform many tests at once, the instrument saves vital time in the laboratory, produces faster results and requires less sample input than other laboratory technologies.

"The Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research has a critical role in improving public health, expanding medical knowledge and enhancing healthcare delivery in Papua New Guinea," said Patrick J. Balthrop, president and chief executive officer of Luminex. "This donation is part of Luminex's commitment to improving the health, safety and quality of life of people worldwide. We have been honored to collaborate with Dr. Zimmerman for the past five years and we are hopeful that our MAGPIX system will become a vital tool in the Institute's efforts to shed new light on malaria and help control and prevent outbreaks."  

The Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research was established in 1968 to conduct research into the health problems of the people of Papua New Guinea. In the last four decades it has established major research programs in several areas including respiratory diseases, malaria, malnutrition, enteric diseases, sexual health and women's health.

In collaboration with Dr. Zimmerman, the Institute has become a member of the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) program, a global network of independent research centers in malaria-endemic settings that was established by the National Institutes of Health. ICEMR centers worldwide are tasked with designing and conducting multidisciplinary research on the epidemiology, transmission and pathogenesis of malaria in their specific regions, capitalize on new opportunities and emerging public health needs, and develop and conduct training and career development programs for researchers.