Qiagen and Geneart join hands to commercialize synthetic genes

This new product line enables researchers to facilitate the development of new therapeutics and vaccines and accelerates future drug screening processes. As part of the collaboration, additional variants of the synthetic genes, which are currently designed for E coli bacteria only, are subject to future development.

QIAgenes is the world’s first comprehensive set of plasmids (small extra-chromosomal DNA molecules in bacteria), which serve as carriers for modified synthetic genes mapping the entire human genome. QIAgenes will be available starting May 19, 2008, through Qiagen’s web portal GeneGlobe, which is said to host the world’s largest database of gene regulation and gene expression assays. The addition of synthetic genes is a synergistic extension of this offering, as the use of synthetic genes often follows the use of such assays.

Kai te Kaat, global business director Protein for Qiagen, said: “The collaboration with Geneart will further advance protein analysis and adds significant new capabilities to and links between Qiagen’s assay and proteomics portfolios.”