Complete Genomics Sale: Gruyère or Emmental?
Swiss Rockets, a Basel‑based firm, announced the acquisition of Complete Genomics, taking full control of its CoolMPS sequencing technology and key personnel. The deal aims to shield the business from U.S. legislative bans tied to perceived Chinese ownership, while retaining royalty obligations to MGI for non‑CoolMPS products. CoolMPS 600 promises 2.4 terabases per run at under $100 per 100 gigabases, positioning it against rivals like Roche and Element. However, lingering ties to Chinese MGI may keep U.S. labs wary.
Illumina Constellation Becomes TruePath Genome
Illumina has rebranded its Constellation mapped‑read system as TruePath Genome and launched it commercially at $395 per genome. The technology performs on‑flowcell tagmentation of high‑molecular‑weight DNA, using DRAGEN to infer proximity and generate haplotype blocks on NovaSeq X 10B flowcells. TruePath Genome claims...
UltraMarathonRT: When Your Reverse Transcription Must Go Long
RNAConnect has launched a new kit for Oxford Nanopore direct‑RNA sequencing that uses UltraMarathonRT, a group II intron‑derived reverse transcriptase. Unlike traditional AMV or M‑MLV enzymes, UltraMarathonRT is highly processive, can copy RNA longer than 30 kb, and works at a gentle...