QIAGEN adds pre-analytical solutions for NGS with launch of 14 new cancer gene panels

QIAGEN has announced the launch of 14 new GeneRead DNAseq V2 gene panels targeting an extensive range of cancer-related genes or gene regions. Gene panels, an integral part of many next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows, are used to enrich genes of interest in a sample prior to sequencing runs and as such can be seen as the core assay in the workflow. QIAGEN’s GeneRead panels are customizable to include other genes or gene regions of clinical or biological interest and are compatible with any NGS sequencer.

The 14 new GeneRead DNAseq V2 panels cover an extensive range of cancer-related genes and gene regions, including “focused” panels each targeting 8 to 25 genes, “disease-specific” panels for 40 to 50 genes, and “comprehensive” panels for up to 160 genes. The gene panels are integrated with QIAGEN’s bioinformatics software, Ingenuity Variant Analysis, an extensive, curated database of gene variants and clinical data that enables interpretation of NGS results and delivers valuable insights from sequencing data. Laboratories also can customize GeneRead panels for specific disease pathways or research needs by tapping into QIAGEN’s deep molecular content portfolio through GeneGlobe, an online portal covering more than 60,000 annotated molecular assays.

According to QIAGEN representatives, the GeneRead technology provides a cost-effective, time-efficient approach for target enrichment in preparation for NGS runs on any sequencer. Its panels use as little as 10 nanograms of starting DNA material per pool, are compatible with FFPE samples, and do not require any specialized instruments. The proprietary algorithms and chemistry provide coverage (>96% of coding regions), specificity (>90% of reads on target), and uniformity (>90% of bases are covered by at least 20% of the mean coverage depth) for the targeted DNA sequencing. In addition, QIAGEN gene panels require only three hours to enrich for targets and provide for a substantially reduced time to go from isolated DNA sample to sequencing-ready libraries. Read more about NGS solutions from QIAGEN.