Verogen Introduces a Cost-Effective NGS Workflow for Volume Casework and Announces Strategic Partnership With Eurofins Forensics Services

The ForenSeq MainstAY Kit makes next-generation sequencing (NGS) accessible and practical for the average forensic laboratory.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verogen Inc. announced today that it is debuting an affordable entry point to NGS on the MiSeq FGx^® Sequencing System with the commercial launch of the ForenSeq MainstAY Workflow. The kit targets the core autosomal and Y-STR loci accepted by global databases, minimizing the need to validate additional markers. With two kit sizes and support for volume sequencing, this workflow will empower the forensic community with a cost-effective alternative to CE-based STR typing that is easy to adopt. Verogen is also pleased to announce that it is partnering with Eurofins Forensics Services, the European leader in forensics sciences, to implement NGS into routine casework.

“ForenSeq MainstAY will support volume casework and sexual assault cases. By combining the high-throughput of this kit with the extensibility and speed of the MiSeq FGx System, forensic laboratories can finally bring next-generation sequencing in-house," said Brett Williams, Chief Executive Officer at Verogen. "ForenSeq MainstAY advances our commitment to expand access to NGS with standardized, globally-distributable tools so all forensic laboratories can benefit from the capabilities that sequencing enables, without extending their budgets or significantly changing their CE-based workflows.”

“We are constantly looking at ways to provide new forensic insights to our customers,” Stanislas Le Chevalier, National Division Leader of Eurofins Forensics, France, commented. “This partnership allows us to leverage Verogen technology and harness the expertise of the trusted forensic leaders across the Eurofins network. Together, we aim to demonstrate the capability of the MiSeq FGx Sequencing System as a cost-effective alternative to classical capillary electrophoresis technologies in forensic genetics. It is the belief of Eurofins Forensics and its external partners, such as Professor Dieter Deforce at the University of Gent, that this program will be the key to applying the power of NGS to both routine casework and complex phenotyping.”

Alexandra Schlenck, Managing Director of the Institut Français des Empreintes Génétiques (IFEG) Nantes and a recognized expert in forensic DNA typing, announced that IFEG would pilot and promote this project within Eurofins, to validate the high-throughput platform that will deliver hundreds of tests per week. The goal of the three-phase pilot is to create an implementation model that can be easily replicated within Eurofins Forensics and its partners.

The ForenSeq MainstAY Kit and the ForenSeq MainstAY Analysis Module in Universal Analysis Software are now available for purchase. For more information, visit verogen.com.

About Verogen

Verogen is a dedicated developer of human identification products for sequencing and analysis of forensic genomic samples. Working closely with the forensic community, Verogen places exceptional value on flexible, scalable solutions that deliver reliable results.