EMQN integrates Trinean’s DropSense™ into its standards QC procedures and quality assessment schemes for Molecular Genetic Labs
Manchester, UK and Gentbrugge, Belgium – February 16, 2016 – EMQN, Europe’s leading organization for quality promotion and assessment in Clinical Genetic Testing, and Trinean, provider of microfluidic spectrophotometry platforms, today announced that the DropSense™96 has been integrated by EMQN as the standard QC tool for DNA samples used in its External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes.
EMQN’s EQA schemes are designed to test the whole analytical process of a clinical laboratory; the ability to interpret data in the light of clinical information supplied with a referral, and to produce a clear and accurate report. The EQA process, which allows diagnostic labs to benchmark and improve their laboratory performance, requires high quality materials and EMQN has adopted the Trinean DropSense™96 reader with its innovative purity analysis cDrop™ software for the QC of all DNA material used. Dr. Simon Patton, Director of EMQN, said: “The integration of the DropSense™96 reader has significantly improved our QC processes enabling us to rapidly assess the quality of our EQA materials. We look forward to working with Trinean as we further integrate its technology in to our activities.”
“Trinean is delighted to partner with EMQN and contribute to the continuous improvement in the standard to diagnostic clinical genetic testing. Our DropSense™96 technology matches the expectations of EMQN in terms of robustness, throughput need and sample QC info,” adds Yvan Sergeant, VP Commercial Operations at Trinean. “Our simple drop-insert-quantify approach allows quick DNA quantification on the DropSense™96 beyond the capabilities of other quantification methods. Both the DropSense™96 and the smaller Xpose™ reader, fit for manual sample processing, are able to provide DNA specific quantification as well as impurity levels ensuring the best read-out quality of a genetic sample.”
About Trinean
Trinean is a Belgium based technology provider, bringing micro-volume molecular spectroscopy to the next level by combining best in class analytical software with a highly standardized read-out platform. Founded in 2006 as a spin-out of the Ghent University, Belgium and Imec Leuven, Belgium, the company commercializes UV/VIS spectrometers for biomolecule quantification. The XposeTM for 16 samples and the DropSense™96, analyzing up to 96 samples, use microfluidic chips for standardized sample analysis (DropPlates and XposeTM Slides). The Trinean platform is complemented with a software toolbox for improved data interpretation and lab-automation.
Trinean is venture backed by Vesalius Biocapital, Capricorn Venture Partners, Capital-E, Baekeland Fonds and Fidimec. For more information about Trinean, visit http://www.trinean.com
About EMQN
EMQN is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to promote quality in genetic testing world-wide. It does this by organising External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes which involve sending reference materials to labs and asking them to report their testing results back to EMQN. It also works to harmonise professional practice by developing consensus-based guidelines.
EMQN is the largest provider of EQA activities to molecular genetic testing labs in the world with over 1800 registered labs from 65 countries. Its EQA activities focus on hereditary genetic diseases (e.g., familial cancers of the breast, colon and eye), molecular pathology (e.g., tumour markers important in indicating response to cancer drugs) and molecular techniques (e.g., DNA Sequencing).
The recent explosive growth in the use of genomic technologies and the proliferation of direct-to-consumer genetic testing raise challenges to traditional models of quality assurance. EMQN is responding to these challenges with innovative solutions (such as EQA for Molecular Pathology, Next Generation DNA sequencing, and non-invasive prenatal diagnosis and testing) and through collaborations with like-minded organisations such as Horizon Diagnostics, and UK NEQAS.
Participation in EQA activities is an essential component of ensuring the quality of the testing process since it looks at all stages of the process from sample receipt to reporting of test results. There is good evidence to show that participation in EQA improves laboratory performance and is especially powerful at identifying systematic errors such as failure of diagnostic test kits.
The EMQN was founded in 1998 with seed funding from the European Union. Since 2002, it has been entirely self-funded through subscriptions from its participating labs. It is co-ordinated from headquarters in Manchester (UK) and accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to the ISO17043 standard for EQA providers.
Further information:
Philippe Stas Chief Executive Officer Trinean N.V. Tel.: +32-9-272.75.35 info@trinean.com