Novel sequencing technique finds local commercial partner

Two biotech start-ups, Combinomics and Nucleics, are to team up to commercialise a novel DNA sequencing technology.

The technology, developed by Brisbane-based Combinomics, made headlines last year for its ability to sequence parts of the human genome previously considered unsequenceable.

Now Nucleics, based at Australian Technology Park in Sydney, will develop the technology into a commercial kit format and market it through its existing customer network.

Combinomics said accurate sequencing of some DNA was limited by current sequencing techniques, which couldn't overcome phenomena like internal repeated regions or structures that inhibit biochemical steps.

But the company claims its technology -- which involves biochemistry and bioinformatics components -- can overcome such limitations. It removes the impediment by random mutation of several copies of a problematic target sequence. The mutated copies are then sequenced, and the original sequence is reconstructed from them.

Gareth Dando, of Uniseed, which funded Combinomics to the point where the fledgling company had a working prototype, said he was gratified that it had found an Australian-based partner. "Local partnering is something we really like to do, but it's not always so easy," he said.

Combinomics director Peter Devine said Nucleics had proven product development experience in DNA sequencing, as well as significant market reach

Nucleics' other products include the Dlute Seq reagent, UniSeq DNA sequencing technology, CounterTrace for improving read-length and data quality of DNA sequencing reactions, and ASIN DNA amplification and sequencing technology, whose IP was sold to Japanese giant Takara Biomedicals in 2000. The company also performs custom sequencing and bioinformatics services.