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April 20, 2023 – Stem Genomics, a French biotech company specializing in innovative testing solutions for the quality control of stem cells for research and therapy, announces the opening of a US branch in the North Carolina Research Triangle region in a new partnership with global karyotyping expert, KaryoLogic Inc. The aim is to bring improved services for assessing the genomic integrity of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) to North American-based research scientists.
“North American-based research scientists have shown a keen interest in our in-process digital PCR assay solution iCS-digital™ PSC for its speed and high-resolution (92% detection of hiPSC genomic abnormalities in 2-3 days). We have been supporting them from Europe for years, and rather successfully with the kit version of this test,” says Nicolas Chapal, Stem Genomics CEO. “However, we were not in the best position to help those who did not have a digital PCR machine in-house and needed the service”.
A similar hurdle was then encountered with other services in the genomic test range. According to Chapal, “Duo iCS-Karyo service (iCS–digital™ PSC combined with G-band karyotyping) faced another limitation. It was too challenging to have cultured cells shipped to Europe to efficiently perform the test, and to do this within acceptable timescales. All in all, we decided that if we wanted to show our true commitment to the US market, we had to physically establish ourselves over there”.
After intensive research, Stem Genomics decided to approach the firmly established US player, KaryoLogic Inc, for their reputation in the American market and global presence. Located in Durham, North Carolina, in the hub of the Research Triangle, it was decided that KaryoLogic was the right partner to deliver complementary G-band karyotype services and expand Stem Genomics’ US-based service platform.
KaryoLogic, which was founded by CEO Elizabeth Gonzalez in 2008, and opened for business in 2009, has been a leader in the research cytogenetics field. “We were very impressed by KaryoLogic’ s expertise in the field of karyotyping. The company also has robust credentials in offering karyotyping services to various laboratories – academic, government, non-profit institutions, and private industries – for over 14 years. Their area of expertise ranges from chromosome analysis of human to rare animal species. We value their expertise and are confident in their ability to deliver successful G-banding results to our clients.”
Chapal added: “Beyond our new partner’s technical skills, we also wanted them to have the same level of commitment to quality and reliability that we have been demonstrating as a company with our established client base. On these points too, we found KaryoLogic to be a perfect match.”
As for KaryoLogic, they saw the opportunity to expand their current offerings with an innovative solution that could be of interest to their own clients. By offering Stem Genomics’ iCS-digital™ PSC assay combined with their G-band karyotyping on human stem cells, KaryoLogic will provide PSC research scientists with a more in-depth service to uncover any potential genetic abnormalities in their human cell lines. The high resolution of the iCS-digital™ PSC assay ensures that it detects the most recurrent mutations found in hPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells as well as embryonic stem cells). Case in point: the most frequent abnormality, the 20q amplicon, which falls below the resolution of G-banding. “It is a logical combination of assays. Both tests naturally complement each other and can be performed concurrently, meaning we maintain our turn-around times. This is crucial to us, as we pride ourselves in offering high quality services to our clients efficiently, and we want to keep it that way. We did not want to expand our offerings without having the assurance that this partnership would truly enhance our end-user’s experience,” says Gonzalez.
To find out more about Stem Genomics and KaryoLogic, visit their respective websites at www.stemgenomics.com and www.karyologic.com.
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