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Infectech, Inc. and Ambion, Inc. in collaboration with the Department of Infectious Diseases in the Veterans Administration Hospital in the Bronx, New York have found resistance genes in tuberculosis. With this discovery labs are able not only to isolate tuberculosis, but also to directly determine if these organisms carry antibiotic resistant genes and whether these genes have mutated. This new discovery was made using the patented Infectech Paraffin Slide Technology for TB isolation and Nucleic Acid Extraction Technology. The extracted nucleic acid is then utilized with Ambion's Mutation Screening System (NIRCA) to scan for the presence of resistance genes and mutations in resistance genes.

A consortium of scientists under the direction of France's Institut Pasteur have determined the entire genetic code of Listeria. The consortium included 10 laboratories and companies.

Abbott Labs has acquired non-exclusive worldwide rights to use Ambion, Inc's Armored RNA technology in products and processes for in vitro diagnostics. Abbott will have the rights to manufacture Armored RNA controls and standards for use in diagnostic kits. Armored RNA technology is a system for the packaging of RNA in bacteriophage coat proteins to protect and stabilize RNA.

Affymetrix, Inc. has introduced the GeneChip GenFlex Tag Array, a platform for hybridization-based assays that enables the simultaneous interrogation of up to 2000 customer-defined reaction products in a single experiment.

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. has acquired Quantitative Diagnostics Laboratories, Inc., a specialty reference lab that provides quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) services to pathologists and is also involved in cancer research. "The acquisition of QDL enables us to partner with Dr. Sarah Bacus, QDL's founder and President, who is one of the pioneers in the field of quantitated IHC. Dr. Bacus' expertise and experience in image analysis is critical to the successful development of our automated cellular image analysis system" commented Chris Gleeson, Ventana's President and Chief Executive Officer. The acquisition supports Ventana's agreement with AccuMed International, Inc. to develop an automated image analysis system for quantitating IHC and in-situ hybridization stains.

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