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 New Zealand biotech tools company takes major step towards DNA testing at home with US$1,500 mobile device
SAN DIEGO and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 19, 2018 -- Ubiquitome Limited today announced the launch of the Liberty16 at the American Society of Human Genetics conference in San Diego, the latest product in its range of mobile real-time PCR systems. Designed to give users access to mobile, cutting-edge DNA testing, the Liberty16 offers DNA quantitation capability whenever and wherever it's needed. ''We've had fantastic feedback on the ground-breaking, handheld Freedom4 we launched in 2014 and we've brought the same mobile design philosophy to the Liberty16,'' says founder and CEO Dr. Paul Pickering. "We're offering it at an accessible price to researchers as an important step on our journey to making DNA testing available in every home." The Liberty16 starts at US$1,500, and Ubiquitome is taking pre-orders from researchers on a "first-come first-served" basis for the device at http://www.ubiquitomebio.com/Liberty16preorder Holly Bowers, of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a Liberty16 early access tester, Freedom4 user and marine science researcher said, "The key benefit of both devices is that you don't have to be in the lab." "They're mobile and flexible and allow you to look at your samples in the field. With the Liberty16 device you have more wells to work with. That allowed us to do more screening of our cultures." The Liberty16 comes with built in lithium ion batteries for two to three hours of mobile running time, Bluetooth enabled which paired with an iPhone app means you can run your samples anywhere. The device is sized to fit with whatever space a researcher has, and is easily transported from site to site. It acts as a personal qPCR device, because it:
An open platform, the Liberty16 is compatible with industry standard consumables and chemistries such as Taqman® and SYBR®. Researchers will have an opportunity to see it at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) conference in San Diego, October 16 – 20. Ubiquitome is showcasing the device at Booth 1143 in the San Diego Convention Center. About Ubiquitome Ubiquitome is a New Zealand-based developer of handheld, cloud-connected, real-time PCR devices. Ubiquitome's mission is to enable universal access to genomic information through ubiquitous cloud connected, genetic analysis devices.  Holly has also loaned the Freedom4 out to some of her colleagues which has allowed them to run tests as they drive to different sites. In 2015, Holly Bowers was a post-doctoral fellow with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), and was a finalist in the Freedom For You grants program. Her prize was a Freedom4 device, which allowed Holly to perform real-time analysis in the field for different algal bloom species.
This is one of the key strengths of the Freedom4. It’s mobile, flexible, and allows researchers to conduct analysis and testing in the field, rather than having to store up samples (some of which might not be needed) for a trip back to the laboratory. It can be used on a boat, dockside, the flatbed of a truck or sitting on a beach. Holly is one of many researchers whose work frequently takes them out of the lab, and being able to use this battery-powered device anywhere, anytime has had a major impact on their ability to streamline their research processes and make better use of their resources. It’s easy to transport with a durable casing, which means it’s not going to suffer unduly if it’s getting knocked about while in the field. The whole idea is to free the researcher from the laboratory to a location where their studies are best performed. This has certainly been the case for Holly and her colleagues, who have seen major savings in time and resources. It’s real-time PCR in the field, and it’s been designed to offer the gold standard performance of laboratory-based platforms anytime, anywhere. If you’re keen to find out more about the Freedom4 and how it can benefit your research, we’d love to discuss it with you.  Ubiquitome CEO, Dr Paul Pickering, will be attending the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in San Diego from 30 July to 3 August 2017.
The meeting and expo presents an ideal opportunity for Ubiquitome to connect with global leaders in clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of breaking science in laboratory medicine. In conjunction with this event, Ubiquitome has made available the Freedom4 Ebola Application Note. Here is an excerpt from it: “Comparable performance by the Freedom4, a mobile real-time PCR device, to the QuantStudioDx (Life Technologies) was demonstrated in these experiments. It is concluded that the Freedom4 gives the same performance and sensitivity as in laboratory instruments.” To download the full application note, click here.  Respected Silicon Valley venture capitalists puts Ubiquitome in his top ten of Kiwi tech ventures with the likes of Xero and RocketLab. Garage Technology Ventures’ managing director Bill Reichert recently spent four weeks in New Zealand as entrepreneur in residents at AUT. He travelled around the country, met with startups and produced an Innovation Report on what he found.
Reichert is a renowned member of the technology community in Silicon Valley. As an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, mentor, speaker and advisor, he has been in the industry for decades and understands innovation and what it takes to build a successful tech venture. He found New Zealand a surprising home of innovation with some clever, talented minds at the helm of some exciting businesses. While there is room for improvement within the innovation space, there were 10 businesses that really impressed him with their products and execution. One of these is Ubiquitome. Featured in his report here, he says his jaw dropped when he heard the Ubiquitome story of developing “what may be the platform that enables genetic analysis to become a ubiquitous standard diagnostic device.” Ubiquitome are proud to be included in a list of such prestigious New Zealand companies such as Xero, RocketLab and Soul Machines. Read Bill Reichert’s full report (split into Part One and Part Two) to gain his full perspective on New Zealand innovation.  Ubiquitome is exhibiting the 2017 BIO International Convention being held in San Diego, California from 20th to 22nd June, 2017. We will be exhibiting in the Digital Health Zone, booth #538. The BIO International Convention attracts 16,000+ attendees from 5,000+ companies including the leading biotech and pharma companies, top 20 CROs and CMOs, more than 300 academic institutions including the major research labs and government agencies, as well as leading consultants and service companies. Ubiquitome will be showcasing the Freedom4 at the event. The Freedom4 is a major advance in qPCR systems: the first commercially available handheld, battery powered real-time PCR device. Light and compact, the Freedom4 operates on battery for up to six hours and delivers you remote gold standard qPCR performance in as little as 50 minutes. We are looking forward to meeting potential partners and attendees. If you want to see the smallest commercially available qPCR machine in the world, stop by our booth #538 in the Digital Health Zone! Where: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California When: 20th to 22nd June, 2017 Ubiquitome: Booth #538 (in the Digital Health Zone) If you would like to discuss partnering opportunities or want to see the Freedom4 up close, please visit our booth #538 at BIO 2017. Contact Paul Pickering by email pj.pickering@ubiquitomebio.com to set up a time to meet.  |
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