Bionano Genomics Acquires BioDiscovery Inc. for $100 Million

Bionano Genomics announced their $100 million acquisition of BioDiscovery Inc., a software company specializing in genomics data, on Oct. 12th, 2021, in a press release. This grants them access to BioDiscovery’s N_x Clinical software, which the company plans to integrate into their optical genome mapping (OGM) software.

The N_X uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray data to provide data analysis and visualization of copy number variants (CNVs) and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), providing a consolidated view of the genome. According to the company press release, adding OGM data to this platform would streamline the process of visualizing, interpreting, and reporting structural variant calls, potentially reducing processing time from hours to less than 20 minutes.

Bionano hopes to build a version of N_X that incorporates their OGM data (alongside existing data types) into the software. In the future, additional capabilities such as RNA expression profiling, epigenetics with methylation, and proteomics will be considered for addition.

“This acquisition accelerates our efforts to make OGM ubiquitous by enabling us to simplify the assessment of clinically-relevant variants in cytogenomics applications, potentially reducing interpretation time per sample and expanding our reach into the discovery and translational research markets where the combination of NGS and OGM can reveal more answers in genetic disease and cancer research,” said Erik Holmlin, CEO of Bionano Genomics, in the press release.

“I believe Bionano Genomics is a natural fit for BioDiscovery, with a shared passion for delivering an exceptional customer experience and revealing all answers across the genome,” said Soheil Shams, founder and CEO of BioDiscover, in the press release. “Bionano’s Saphyr system, which delivers OGM data today, enables Bionano to offer the most comprehensive genome analysis by combining NGS with OGM data in one integrated workflow so all variants across the genome, from single base to full chromosomes, can be assessed for better insights towards elevating human health.”

The deal is expected to close before Oct. 22, 2021.

Source: Bionano Genomics