Promega Expands Forensic Portfolio with Distribution Agreement for NimaGen’s IDseek® MPS Library Prep Kits

Agreement adds STR, SNP, microhaplotype and mitochondrial DNA MPS kits to Promega forensic product lineup

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forensic casework laboratories will now have access to NimaGen’s IDseek^® massively parallel sequencing (MPS) kit portfolio through Promega Corporation, following a distribution agreement announced today between the two companies. The IDseek^® line is powered by NimaGen’s patented Reverse Complement PCR (RC-PCR) technology to deliver the sensitivity and specificity required for challenging casework samples. These sequencing kits extend the existing Promega portfolio of sample preparation and capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based STR analysis tools.

“For decades, we have anticipated and responded to the technologies that forensic laboratories need to produce reliable results,” says Tim Kupferschmid, Senior Director of Genetic Identity at Promega. “With this agreement, labs that have long benefited from Promega reagents, instrumentation and support can continue relying on us as they expand their workflows with massively parallel sequencing.”

IDseek^® Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) Kits

All IDseek^® library prep kits are built on RC-PCR technology, which enables forensic MPS library preparation in a single closed-tube reaction. The workflow is designed for the sensitivity demands of forensic casework, including degraded and low-quantity samples, and produces high on-target read yields that maximize sequencing efficiency.

“This marks an important milestone in our growth, extending our sales reach and deepening our technical capabilities to better serve customers around the world,” says Pieter van Oers, Senior Manager of Business Development – Forensics at NimaGen. “Our RC-PCR library preparation technology fundamentally simplifies the MPS workflow, eliminating the complexity that has prevented many laboratories from transitioning to MPS. With our IDseek® MPS library prep portfolio, forensic scientists can now access the power of MPS with a workflow that resembles traditional CE methods, while increasing sample safety, sensitivity and discrimination power of forensic STR testing.”

Under the new agreement, Promega will distribute more than 20 products across seven product families. Examples of applications supported include:

• Autosomal STR profiling (IDseek^® OmniSTR™)
• Y-chromosomal STR profiling (IDseek^® mYSTR™)
• Autosomal and Y-chromosomal STR profiling (IDseek^® CombiSTR™ Plus)
• Microhaplotype analysis (IDseek^® OmniHAP™)
• Identity informative SNP typing (IDseek^® OmniSNP™)
• Mitochondrial DNA sequencing (IDseek^® Mitochondrial HVR and Full Genome kits)

Promega Support for Forensic Laboratories

Promega has supported forensic laboratories for more than 30 years with products, instrumentation and technical expertise spanning the full workflow of human identification. For forensic laboratories evaluating the transition to MPS-based workflows, the ability to access NimaGen’s IDseek^® portfolio through an established Promega relationship simplifies the path to MPS adoption. The Promega global distribution network, forensic-specific technical support infrastructure and decades of experience serving casework laboratories mean that laboratories can move into MPS with the same supplier accountability they already rely on for their CE-based workflows.

To learn more about IDseek^® products distributed by Promega, click here

About Promega Corporation

Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company’s portfolio of over 4,000 products supports a range of life science work across areas such as cell biology; DNA, RNA and protein analysis; drug development; human identification and molecular diagnostics. These tools and technologies have grown in their application over the last 45 years and are used today by scientists and technicians in labs for academic and government research, forensics, pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics and veterinary, agricultural and environmental testing. Promega is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors. Learn more at promega.com

About NimaGen

NimaGen B.V. is a biotechnology company specializing in innovative DNA sequencing technologies for forensic applications and human identification. Headquartered in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, NimaGen holds the exclusive license for the patented Reverse Complement PCR (RC-PCR) technology, granted by the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom. The company's IDseek® product line represents the next revolution in forensic MPS, combining unmatched sensitivity, robustness, and sample safety with simplified workflows that make advanced sequencing accessible to forensic laboratories worldwide. NimaGen is part of Biolegio Holding.

Penny Patterson
VP, Corporate Affairs
Promega Corporation
Phone: (608) 274-4330
E-mail: penny.patterson@promega.com