Lumora Signs Supply Agreement with Promega for Ultra-Glo Luciferase, to be used in Lumora’s BART Molecular Diagnostics Technology

Portfolio company Lumora, a provider of state-of-the-art molecular diagnostic products for the clinical and industrial market, and Promega, a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry, have signed a supply agreement for the use of Promega’s Ultra-Glo™ luciferase in Lumora’s BART (Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time) molecular diagnostics technology.

Lumora’s BART technology is a novel reporter system, designed to be used with isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies - primarily as a tool in molecular diagnostics. This is the first commercial molecular diagnostic application for Promega’s Ultra-Glo luciferase, highlighting the potential of the bioluminescent enzyme when combined with cutting edge technologies such as BART.

Hayden Jeffreys, Commercial Director at Lumora, said: “This is a significant deal for both parties as it showcases the application of Ultra-Glo, a highly regarded reagent, in the fast growing area of molecular diagnostics. Promega has established itself as one of the best suppliers of reagents in the world, and by leveraging their global presence, combined with the potential applications of BART and Ultra-Glo, we believe this deal could be the start of a significant partnership.”

Laurence Tisi, CEO of Lumora, said: “The BART technology represents the first of a new generation of bioluminescent assays which take advantage of the ability of Ultra-Glo to operate at temperatures in excess of 60˚C. BART bridges bioluminescent and molecular technologies in a unique way offering a breakthrough in the simplicity and robustness of molecular assays.”

Matthew Cook, Head of Commercial Sales, Promega, added: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Lumora. The company has some excellent technologies in the molecular diagnostics space, which combined with Ultra-Glo has the potential to open new markets.”

The BART technology causes a sample to emit light when a diagnostic test result is positive, making the technology extraordinarily simple to implement and eliminating the need for highly sensitive light detection apparatus. The simplicity of BART enables easy-to-use, affordable, robust hardware to be used. This is a major break-through as molecular diagnostics is typically associated with complex and expensive hardware.

This deal follows a series of milestones for Lumora this year, including a deal with Biogal to provide veterinary diagnostics, a partnership with FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics) to develop a novel malaria diagnostic, a new fundraising round and the appointment of new team members including a new commercial director and Chairman.