[BBoy]

After effectively exiting the NGS market in 2013, Roche is making moves to get back into it with their acquisition of Genia for up to $350M ($125 up front and $225 in potential future payments). Read more on our blog.

Brilliant move or sign of desperation on the part of Roche? After sending $60M+ down the drain with IBM they are now back to the big dance, now with (apparently) murky IP situation. ONT has licensed so much IP on the biochemistry side that it is not clear (to me) how Genia works around that. Judging from the patents that are now published, the sensors themselves are interesting but not terribly unique. The guys know their analog design (duh), but without biochemistry they will go nowhere. Maybe this is what Roche is banking on - take the platform and add their own biochemistry.

[AllSeq]

The guys know their analog design (duh), but without biochemistry they will go nowhere. Maybe this is what Roche is banking on - take the platform and add their own biochemistry.

Genia seems to be claiming two advantages:
1) Precise control over the nanopore assembly process, allowing for 'better than Poisson' distribution

2) NanoTag biochemistry (being co-developed with Columbia and Harvard)

Do you not think this biochemistry confers an advantage (or are you saying they don't really 'own' it due to the murky nanopore IP situation)?

[BBoy]

Do you not think this biochemistry confers an advantage (or are you saying they don't really 'own' it due to the murky nanopore IP situation)?

Their hardware, as much as can be judged from their patents and public presentations is elegant. Murky biochem IP is indeed the right way to characterize things. There are multiple startups, universities, and established companies working in this area, some with overlapping IP claims. It will be interesting to sit back and watch the lawyers get paid large amounts of money to argue about trivialities.

[snetmcom]

Very interesting. Do you know if they've purchased the IP from $LIFE or if they have any commercialization plans?

I'm curious about this part as well. I wonder if Thermo Fisher dumped any ties with Genia after the Life acquisition?

[AllSeq]

I'm curious about this part as well. I wonder if Thermo Fisher dumped any ties with Genia after the Life acquisition?

Still haven't heard anything else about the group working on Starlight.

As for Thermo, my assumption is they still own a portion Genia and will make a bit of money on their investment once the acquisition closes.