Qiagen, a Netherlands-based provider of samples for Insight solutions, and Curetis subsidiary Ares Genetics have partnered to develop bioinformatics and assay solutions to advance global fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Image: QIAGEN, Ares Genetics partners to fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Photo: Courtesy of QIAGEN.
The agreement gives Qiagen exclusive licence to use Ares Genetics’ artificial intelligence (AI) based antimicrobial resistance database, called ARESdb.
Qiagen also acquired the licence for leveraging AREStools bioinformatics tools and workflows in its bioinformatics products and services for researchers.
The Netherlands-based firm also secured a non-exclusive worldwide license for the development and commercialization of molecular research assays using ARESdb content with QIAGEN next-generation sequencing (NGS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) solutions.
Qiagen said ARESdb is likely the most comprehensive, global and continuously updated knowledge base on genetic antibiotic resistance markers and their diagnostic relevance.
Ares Genetics CEO and managing director Andreas Posch said: “With Qiagen as a prime supplier of industry-leading applications for the analysis and interpretation of biological data, we are well positioned to make ARESdb a key resource for cutting-edge research in the pressing healthcare issue of antimicrobial resistance.
This partnership has the potential to greatly facilitate our engagement with the public health and AMR research communities in the further development and expansion of ARESdb, our database that is also core to the NGS-based diagnostic solutions currently developed by Ares Genetics.”
A lack of diagnostic tools and reporting makes the Antimicrobial resistance difficult to quantify, and a recent study predicted 10 million deaths rise per annum by 2050.
The company said that the patients affected by resistant strains of pneumonia and food-borne pathogens are making the antimicrobial resistance treatment difficult already.
Qiagen Bioinformatics senior vice president and head Jonathan Sheldon said: “Antibiotic-resistant diseases are an urgent threat to public health, as resistance undermines the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. This global problem cries out for molecular insights that can lead to new understanding and therapeutic approaches.
“Partnering with Ares Genetics to leverage their genomic content with Qiagen’s expertise in bioinformatics, NGS and PCR technologies, we will expand our portfolio of solutions to help the global community fight these infections.”
Qiagen said that the collaboration with Ares Genetics builds on its portfolio for infectious disease research.
The ARESdb content will be integrated with Qiagen’s CLC Genomics Workbench and build a Software-as-a-Service portal providing standardized analysis for research and enabling flexible design of assays.
Qiagen claims that it supports basic and clinical research on a range of bacterial infections, including healthcare-associated and community-acquired infections.