Roche´s Genome Sequencer 20 Enters the African Continent: First System Installation at inqaba biotec’s Sequencing Facility in South Africa

Roche Applied Science, a business area of Roche Diagnostics, announced that they have sold the first ultrafast Genome Sequencer 20 System (including option for the new Genome Sequencer FLX) in Africa.
South Africa’s inqaba biotec will be the first user on the African continent. As of March 2007, the company will offer their sequencing service to customers not only in Southern Africa but also worldwide. The company supports all the applications available from 454 Life Sciences and Roche Diagnostics, including whole genome sequencing, Paired-End, Amplicon, etc., and provides a tailor-made service according to their customers` requirements.

Manfred Baier, Head of Roche Applied Science: “The professional management of inqaba biotec´s sequencing service will give life scientists in South Africa easy access to the next generation sequencing technology. We are pleased to be able to contribute towards boosting genetic research in this region. The substantial reductions in both time and costs by using the system offer the prospect of applications for sequencing in the fields of whole genome sequencing, transcriptome and gene regulation studies, or amplicon analysis e.g., as a basis for the detection of somatic mutations in cancer samples.”

Oliver Preisig, CEO of inqaba biotec, explains: "The GS 20 sequencer from Roche is based on a cutting-edge technology for the generation and analysis of sequence data in the megabase range at a cost level that will now make it accessible to many more life scientists than ever before. We are excited that inqaba biotec was enabled by BioPAD, a biotechnology investment trust funded by the Department of Science and Technology of South Africa, with the aim of establishing a sequencing service based on the GS technology in South Africa to serve regional as well as international customers.”

The Genome Sequencer 20 System, is based on 454 Sequencing™ technology, developed by the US company 454 Life Sciences, and can perform sequencing runs up to 60 times faster than conventional commercially available platforms. The preparation of a whole genome requires just a single preparation step, without the need for extensive robots for colony picking and handling of the microtiter plates. One single instrument can produce dozens of megabases of sequence data within a few hours thanks to parallel-processing, the latest imaging techniques and unique data analysis.