PerkinElmer Acquires Spectral Genomics

In a move that will provide the company with new technology for detecting prenatal chromosomal abnormalities, PerkinElmer (Boston, MA, USA), which makes a wide variety of instruments for scientific use, has acquired Spectral Genomics Inc. (Houston, TX, USA) for undisclosed terms. The acquisition is expected to advance prenatal and neonatal disease detection.

Privately held Spectral Genomics makes arrays and software that help pharmacologic, cytogenetic, and clinical researchers discover chromosomal abnormalities related to the study of cancer and pre- and post-natal genetic disorders. The company's proprietary array comparative genome hybridization (CGH) technology provides a high-resolution global view of the human genome, which helps researchers identify the exact location of chromosome deletions and amplifications that can cause increased risk of genetic disease.

"Spectral Genomics' innovative technologies are highly complementary to our current molecular medicine and genetic screening offerings,” said Robert Friel, president of PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences. "By enabling rapid surveys of the whole genome at high resolution, scientists can produce abundant, highly reproducible data in a fraction of the time required with standard methods, driving higher productivity in the lab.”

Array-based karyotyping is expected to replace fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), G-banding microscopic analysis, and other conventional forms of karyotyping in the cytogenetic market. The array CGH marketplace is also expected to experience strong growth as more academic institutions adopt this technology for their biomarker discovery programs.



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