Premier Biosoft International has produced user-friendly software for genomic testing company DxTerity Diagnostics to speed up the bespoke software’s adoption.
DxTerity Diagnostics has developed NEAT, a genomic testing platform that replaces expensive enzymatic amplification techniques with a robust chemical reaction, enabling the development of simple and affordable diagnostic tests. NEAT has been successfully employed in the analysis of mRNA, microRNA, rRNA, and genomic DNA.
By providing a user-friendly software solution for the probe design needs of NEAT, DxTerity expects to lower barriers to customer adoption and speed the proliferation of this innovative technology. The software module allows customers to quickly adapt the NEAT technology to their individual needs, allowing the rapid development of robust genomic assays.
The contract started in December 2007 and proceeded in phases with periodic deliveries until July 2008. After the initial requirements were provided by DxTerity, an extensive analysis was done by the Premier Biosoft team, consisting of a panel of domain experts and software engineers. The highlights of the project included developing the algorithms required for the analysis and designing the user interface for making the product both easy-to-use and comprehensive.
The scope of the project included designing a complete NEAT probe design module that adhered to the DxTerity probe design guidelines. For mutation-specific probe design, algorithms were developed not only to reduce assay costs, but also to enable efficient mutation detection. This was achieved by designing the probe set such that one probe was common for the mutation and wild type detection.
'The resulting software module streamlines the NEAT assay design process and allows our customers to quickly develop new genomic testing assays,' said Bob Terbrueggen, president and CEO of DxTerity Diagnostics.
