Yesterday Cofactor was featured on GenomeWeb's In Sequence blog (log-in required) for our new sequencer trade-in program. Labs are able to trade-in their sequencers for a defined service agreement with Cofactor. This would provide labs dedicated capacity on any of Cofactor's Sequencing platforms and access to all vetted molecular protocols, analysis and visualization solutions.
Our program is in direct response to requests from clients over the past few years, who have come to realize over time that the average total cost of owning and running a sequencer is higher than the cost of outsourcing. Service contracts, personnel, and reagents, not to mention R&D, all factor in to the cost of machines that many labs don't think about when they purchase their first machine. Machine choice and flexibility also plays a big role, working with Cofactor allows researchers the freedom to choose the right machine for their experiment, instead of being left with only one option.
The full press release:
Cofactor Genomics Launches Sequencer Exchange Program
Researchers benefit by minimizing investment in hardware while maximizing results with Cofactor's team of sequencing and bioinformatics experts
ST. LOUIS, MO. – March 5th, 2013 – Cofactor Genomics, a leading biotechnology services company, announced today the launch of its Sequencer Exchange Program. The program is aimed at simultaneously addressing the low utilization of expensive and quickly depreciating equipment held by Cofactor's target clients, as well as Cofactor's growing need for sequencing capacity to fuel its discovery service solutions.
In response to increasing requests over the past year, Cofactor Genomics will enable researchers to trade equipment in exchange for projects under Cofactor's Master Alliance Program (MAP). This would provide clients dedicated capacity on any of Cofactor's sequencing platforms and access to all vetted molecular protocols, analysis and visualization solutions. These are all components of service offerings that make up Cofactor's RNA-seq, miRNA, de novo genome, and SNP discovery solutions.
Jarret Glasscock, CEO of Cofactor Genomics, noted, ''Many have realized they don't want to incur the burden of additional personnel, support contracts, compute infrastructure, protocol testing, and the responsibility of machine husbandry. Cofactor has realized that the scientists it serves want their team to have access to the most recent library techniques, sequencing platforms, and analysis approaches.'' ''That’s exactly what our Sequencer Exchange Program accomplishes,'' Glasscock added.
Clients cite challenges associated with scalability, cost per base and limited multiplexing capabilities on smaller platforms as reasons to exchange their machines, while clients with larger platforms report low utilization, issues with inconsistent data and lack of molecular and analysis solutions. Cofactor offers a comprehensive solution to these clients by providing dedicated capacity, turnaround, and pricing, on all of the major next-generation platforms.
''Staying abreast and trained on the constant advance of molecular, mechanical, and analysis techniques is not a cheap or part-time venture,'' stated Glasscock. ''We spend a considerable portion of our yearly budget on R&D to test techniques, protocols and analysis pipelines so our clients don't have to. Our goal is to provide researchers the discovery solutions they are seeking to advance their research.'' he added.
For more information about Cofactor Genomics' Sequencer Exchange Program, please email [email protected].
About Cofactor Genomics, LLC
Cofactor Genomics is a privately held biotechnology company founded in 2008 by a team of highly-experienced scientists after their long tenure working on the human genome project at Washington University's Genome Institute. Cofactor employs experimental design, next generation sequencing, and proprietary analysis and visualization technology to drive the discovery and design of new products and processes for the life sciences. Cofactor's D&A (Design & Analysis) Solutions are constructed to specifically assist those researchers who require more than just sequencing at a reasonable cost. It also provides expert design and analysis capabilities, customized to client’s requirements. Cofactor's expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics accelerates its partners' biological research, discovery and product development in a number of scientific areas worldwide. For more information, visit www.cofactor.wpengine.com.
