Primerdesign
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Primerdesign
| logo =
| parent = Novacyt
| location = Chandler's Ford, United Kingdom
| foundation = 2005
| key_people = Dr Jim Wicks, Dr Rob Powell and Professor Tom Brown
| area_served = Worldwide
| industry = Biotechnology
| homepage = [http://www.primerdesign.co.uk/ Primerdesign.co.uk]
}}
Primerdesign is a UK-based biotechnology company that designs and sells products for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
History
Primerdesign was founded in 2005 by Dr Jim Wicks, Dr Rob Powell and Professor Tom Brown within the University of Southampton to focus on PCR and DNA chemistry. The company has grown since then and its products have been used in over 100 countries. The company has a portfolio of over 400 qPCR detection kits and over 9000 research targets.{{cite web|url=http://www.setsquared.co.uk/Casestudy-details?casestudy=f54b0a39-3f4c-44b1-be8f-e155490e87b5 |title=PrimerDesign |accessdate=31 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718143705/http://www.setsquared.co.uk/Casestudy-details?casestudy=f54b0a39-3f4c-44b1-be8f-e155490e87b5 |archivedate=18 July 2010 }}
Swine flu detection kit
During the swine flu pandemic in 2009, Primerdesign developed the world's first swine flu detection kit.Bunkall, Alistair. (4 May 2009) [http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Rapid-Swine-Flu-Test-Kit---Southampton-Firm-Prime-Design-Creates-Two-Hour-Influenza-Tests/Article/200905115274919?DCMP=News-search-sslc&lid=ARTICLE_15274919_RapidSwineFluTestKit-SouthamptonFirmPrimeDesignCreatesTwo-HourInfluenzaTests&lpos=searchresults UK Firm Creates Rapid Swine Flu Test Kit]. News.sky.com. The kit, which was designed within a fortnight, was designed to give results within two hours.Powell, Rob. (31 August 2009) [http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Rob-Powell-On-How-Primer-Design-Developed-The-First-DNA-Test-Kit-For-Mexican-Swine-Flu/Article/200908415369788?DCMP=News-search-sslc&lid=ARTICLE_15369788_RobPowellOnHowPrimerDesignDevelopedTheFirstDNATestKitForMexicanSwineFlu&lpos=searchresults Test Of Skill As UK Firm Wins Swine Flu Race]. News.sky.com. The first shipment of rapid result tests was dispatched to Mexico in April 2009 and is now being used in more than 30 countries.
Horse meat scandal
The company responded to the 2013 meat adulteration scandal by being able to provide qPCR kits to quantitatively measure for horse meat in food.{{cite web|url=http://www.foodprocessing.com.au/case_studies/66977-Avoiding-the-horsemeat-scandal-with-real-time-PCR|title=Avoiding the horsemeat scandal with real-time PCR|website=foodprocessing.com.au}}
Their kits were used throughout Ireland{{cite web|url=http://www.apajournal.org.uk/2013_0067-0106.pdf |title=Journal |date=2013 |website=apajournal.org.uk }} as well as the UK.{{cite web|url=http://www.setsquared.co.uk/content/southampton-company-primerdesign-help-tackle-horse-meat-food-scandal|title=Southampton company PrimerDesign help tackle horse meat food scandal – SETsquared Partnership|website=setsquared.co.uk|date=19 March 2013 }}
Products
Among their product ranges are lines for:
- Pathogen detection kits
- House-keeping gene assays
- Genomic DNA detection kits
- Real-time PCR reagents
- geNorm reference gene selection kits
- Housekeeping gene selection kits
- Biobank Control cDNA
- High Resolution Melting analysis kits
Customers
Primerdesign's customers include academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, independent diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, and official government health agencies.
Sponsorship program
In 2006, Primerdesign initiated a sponsorship program for PhD students and provide further assistance to the PCR component of their study.{{Cite web |url=http://www.primerdesign.co.uk/learn/student-sponsorship |title=Student sponsorship : Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction: PCR, QPCR Tutorials : Primerdesign Ltd |access-date=7 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714192949/http://www.primerdesign.co.uk/learn/student-sponsorship |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://primerdesign.co.uk/home Primerdesign website]
Category:Research support companies
Category:Biotechnology companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Biotechnology companies established in 2005