qPCR + Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)

New Hope for Patients Suffering From Challenging Infections

Why MicroGenDX?

Our mission at MicroGenDX is to improve clinical outcomes by offering clinicians and their patients the most informative and impactful microbial diagnostic tests that science can provide.

Southwest Regional PCR first offered a 2-step process combining qPCR and NGS to identify microbes in 2010 under the commercial name PathoGenius. In 2017, the laboratory was purchased by Rick Martin, head of commercialization for this testing, and rebranded as Southwest Regional PCR dba MicroGenDX. Since that new branding and leadership, the laboratory has grown in scale and reach for physicians, specialties and infection types – both nationally and internationally.

A global leader in NGS diagnostics of infection

MicroGenDX first offered its 2-step process of combining qPCR and NGS to identify microbes in 2010. Since then, the MicroGenDX laboratory has run over 750,000 next-gen DNA sequencing tests at our state-of-the-art, molecular diagnostic facility in Texas. Our advanced instrumentation, including Illumina MiSeq sequencers, provides the industry’s most informative microbial diagnostics for ENT/AFB, microbiology laboratories, orthopedics, urology, wound care, podiatry, pulmonary, Explants, periodontal, podiatry/nail, OB-GYN, infectious disease, and other medical specialties. Our laboratory is supported by a team of molecular biologists, biochemists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists, and physicians. MicroGenDX employs over 100 passionate employees, with a leadership model that swiftly adapts to global health concerns and new technologies. We want to help as many people as possible with microbial identification of challenging infections.

NGS diagnostics available soon in Europe

Given strong demand from patients and clinicians across Europe to get access to MicroGenDX NGS diagnostics of infections, we are working with laboratory partners in Europe to make this test available soon, accelerating turn-around time and reducing international shipping costs.

What medical experts are saying about MicroGenDX qPCR + NGS

“Clinicians know that rapid diagnostic technologies are available. They’re demanding it, and we are obligated to provide it…If you don’t adapt and understand new technologies, you will not survive doing what we do.

We had a mold in our mycology laboratory that we simply could not identify…So I said let’s send it to MicroGen for next-generation sequencing, and we got the answer back in four days. We found that the isolate was identified…and clinically relevant. The patient was placed on an appropriate antifungal therapy and got better.

I love the new technology and I see what we can do with it…to help our clinicians and not hinder them, and ultimately to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics.”

— James Snyder, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Molecular Diagnostics, Louisville Hospital

“The urinary tract is a veritable microbial jungle. The prostate less so, but it definitely has its own microbiome…First with PCR, now with next-generation sequencing, our understanding of the microbial communities we live with has completely changed.

The future of managing infectious disease in Urology will involve determining the pathogenic ecology of the lower urinary tract obtained with non-culture molecular diagnostic technology, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS).”

— J. Curtis Nickel, MD, Professor of Urology and Research Chair in Urologic Pain and Inflammation at Kingston General Hospital Kingston, Ontario, Canada

“The major shortfall of biomarkers is that they diagnose the problem but they don’t tell you what the infecting organism is. Next generation sequencing looks at the quantity of DNA that’s in the samples, will run that against the phylogeny of bacteria and fungi, and then it will tell you which bacteria or fungi exist there.

In [periprosthetic joint infection] cases where we have no organism isolated – the culture negative cases of up to 50% in some centers – MicroGenDX gives you very useful information of what the organism is…It can be Gram negative, Gram positive, and in some samples they have isolated fungi.

A majority of the people that deal with periprosthetic joint infection have been waiting for technology like this. I think the timing is great.”

Key benefits of MicroGenDX qPCR+NGS technology

Rely on a faster, more comprehensive resource to diagnose and treat infections:

  • Comprehensive next-generation sequencing results in an average of 3.5 days. No more waiting days or weeks for culture results, which can be incomplete or inaccurate

  • A clear representation of the relative abundance of microbes in each sample, offering insight into dominant pathogens and a more complete picture of biofilms

  • Antimicrobial resistance genes and antimicrobials for consideration in 24-48 hours

  • The most refined and targeted treatment options to resolve chronic infections more quickly

Why MicroGenDX is the technology leader in microbial identification for infections

Here are some of the reasons why MicroGenDX has become the technology leader in DNA sequencing for acute, chronic, and recurring bacterial and fungal infections:

  • Matches microbes detected in samples to a curated database of 50,000+ species

  • Least expensive cost worldwide for qPCR + NGS testing

  • Accepts the widest variety of sample/media types

  • Fast turnaround times (24-48 hours for qPCR, 3.5 days average for NGS)

  • Sequencing of 17 antimicrobial resistance genes for all major classes of antimicrobials

  • Use of state-of-the-art Illumina MiSeq DNA sequencing platform

  • Only US molecular micro lab with 14 years CAP proficiency for qPCR and NGS with 99.2% accuracy

  • MicroGenDX used in more published clinical trials (70+) than any other laboratory

  • Most experienced qPCR+NGS lab with more than 700,000 samples processed

  • Only NGS lab with published data showing 96.1% concordance with culture