Bruker has acquired selected assets from an unspecified company based in Glasgow, UK for the development, validation and commercialization of molecular assays for applications in microbiology.

Bruker has acquired the laboratory infrastructure and IP in the NAT assay field, including real-time PCR assays for microbiology. In parallel, Bruker has hired an experienced R&D, operations and commercial team in Glasgow to drive PCR-based syndromic panel development for Bruker’s MALDI Biotyper platform.

The MALDI Biotyper offers fast, highly accurate and cost-efficient microbial identification with exceptionally broad species coverage, based on proteomic fingerprinting. Molecular multiplex and syndromic panel testing is another growing field in clinical microbiology. When a rapid, targeted answer is required without prior microbial cultivation, multiplex PCR assays for the identification of selected bacterial, fungal and viral species, and for the fast detection of resistance genes, are highly complementary to broad-coverage, untargeted proteomic identification from isolates after overnight culture. Such proteomic assays and NAT assays are expected to be both performed on the same MALDI Biotyper platform. Applications for targeted multiplex PCR assays arise in early screening, confirmation testing and broader syndromic testing.

Dr. Wolfgang Pusch, Executive Vice President for Clinical MALDI Solutions at Bruker Daltonics, commented: “In addition to conventional, targeted real-time PCR assays, Bruker sees further advantages in combining multiplexed syndromic PCR assays with a read-out on the MALDI Biotyper platform. Bruker intends to validate and launch the real-time PCR assays which have been acquired, and develop new multiplex PCR panels on the MALDI Biotyper platform in order to expand its assay menu to rapid targeted bacterial, fungal and viral identification, to fast antibiotic resistance testing, as well as to syndromic panels. With over 2,000 MALDI Biotypers already installed worldwide for fast, highly accurate and untargeted microbial identification, we are excited to bring new NAT multiplex assay and syndromic panel capabilities to our customers over time.”