Acquisition brings Potential for expanded Accessibility to NGS Protocols

Integra Biosciences is delighted to announce that it has acquired Miroculus, a biotechnology specialist focused on developing automation solutions for next generation sequencing (NGS) protocols. This will allow Integra to expand its product range for library preparation, which with the benefits of significant time savings could enable academic, research and diagnostics laboratories to ultimately accelerate discovery in this dynamic field.

Based in San Francisco, USA, Miroculus was founded to develop intuitive tools that simplify complex genomics protocols, expanding their accessibility to a wider range of scientists. Urs Hartmann, CEO of Integra, said: “We have acquired this promising start-up because we recognise the huge potential of its revolutionary digital microfluidics technology for automating and miniaturising genomics protocols. Miroculus’ proprietary platform delivers assay flexibility and automation capacity, which enables seamless workflow integration, streamlining the experimental process and empowering researchers to translate their discoveries into practical solutions that will improve people’s lives.”

The strategic acquisition will enable Integra to better serve the growing NGS market with solutions for applications such as automating long-read sequencing and target enrichment protocols. It also ensures ongoing company growth and safeguards staff; high priorities for both companies. Urs continued: “Miroculus’ vision and product range complement our own innovative solutions for sample and library preparation, making it the perfect fit for our company as we seek to establish a competitive edge in the genomics sector. We're very much looking forward to welcoming the Miroculus team into the Integra family, and we’ll no doubt benefit from their expertise and wealth of knowledge surrounding NGS. We are confident that our combined talents will allow us to accelerate and simplify science together, and we anticipate the launch of many exciting projects in the near future, with the aim of advancing discoveries in the crucial area of genomics.”

Alejandro Tocigl, Co-Founder and CEO of Miroculus, added: “We began Miroculus with the mission to advance science and improve lives faster and the last year has been significant for us as we’ve worked toward this goal. Most notably, we launched the Miro Canvas™ system, which is a compact and easy-to-use digital microfluidics platform that fully automates NGS sample preparation protocols and makes them accessible to scientists everywhere. We are extremely excited to now be a part of Integra and to continue our shared culture of innovation for the scientific community.”

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