Ben Butkus
Ben Butkus is editorial director of GenomeWeb. He covers technologies and trends across the omics landscape with a particular interest in molecular diagnostics, infectious disease, PCR and related nucleic acid amplification technologies, and sample prep.

Articles Authored by Ben Butkus
Diagnostics for the Real World Prepares to Launch Retooled Rapid Point-of-Care Testing Platform
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The company, also known as DRW, shared early data on its forthcoming multiplex qPCR-based platform and infectious disease panels at the ESCMID global congress in Vienna.

At ESCMID, Expert Extols New RNA Biomarker, EliTech Assay for Managing CMV Infection Post-Transplant
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The RNA biomarker for monitoring cytomegalovirus infection and therapy efficacy in immunocompromised patients can be quantified with a PCR kit from Bruker's EliTechGroup.

Association for Molecular Pathology 'In Limbo' as FDA Lawsuit Moves Ahead, LDT Regulations Loom
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At the AMP annual meeting this week, leadership briefed members on what to expect as its lawsuit challenging the FDA final rule on laboratory-developed test regulation unfolds.

Natera Reports 52 Percent Spike in Q1 Revenues, Raises Full-Year Guidance
The company beat analysts' estimates on the top and bottom lines with growth driven by increased testing volumes and improvements in average test selling price.
As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic and in newer research, saliva holds promise as an alternative sample type for PCR-based infectious disease testing.

ESCMID Global Panelists Underscore Role of Rapid Dx Testing in Antimicrobial Resistance Battle
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In a BioMérieux-sponsored symposium, economist Lord Jim O'Neill revisited a 2016 report on AMR while experts discussed the use of rapid testing tools such as those offered by the French company.
Spanish Startup DeepUll Unveils MDx Platform, Direct-From-Blood Sepsis Assay at ESCMID Global
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DeepUll showcased its UllCore platform and BSI Test, a one-hour multiplex PCR assay targeting 95 percent of sepsis-causing pathogens and multiple antibiotic resistance genes.

The partnership, announced last week just before ECCMID kicked off, is the first major foray for both companies into the sequencing-based infectious disease diagnostics market.
The company will launch 37 CE-IVD-marked assays this year, mostly for infectious diseases, for use on the QuantStudio 5 Dx and eventually QuantStudio 7 Pro Dx platforms.

Molecular TB Assay From PBD Biotech Shows Promise in Detecting Latent-to-Active Disease Risk
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The blood-based assay, called Actiphage, combines phage-induced lysis of infectious bacteria and molecular detection of bacterial DNA.