Genetic Testing Lab spins into the money - Washington Business Journal:

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When The Genetic Testing Laboratory Inc. was a projecrt at ’s , it was losing $300,000 to $400,000 a In 2005, the company was spun off into theprivatew sector. Since then, the firm, whicbh offers a variety of inexpensive genetic testsz and runs theonly full-service, fullyt accredited, private crime laborator y in New Mexico, has experienced a 1,200o percent growth rate. It has grownb from three employees tonearly 40, and it expectx to double its growth by December. “We’vw just gone through the roof in termsof growth,” said Genetics Generakl Manager Stefan Long. “This month, we’ll have 10,000 square feet of space in theGenesiz Center.
We’re in negotiations to doublee that.” It helps that the companyy offers services that arein demand, and offerd them at affordable “Our prices are 40 to 50 percent lower than what you can find Our goal is to provide affordable prices,” Long said. The firm offers several products, including an Ancestral Origins DNA kit that allows people to determine where their ancestors a BioResolve kit that tests for predisposition to 27 and a DNAid kit that can quickly help identift victims ofnatural disasters, terrorism and battlefield causalities. The company’s 9,000-square-foogt crime laboratory has quickly picked up busineses and provides a fast turnaroundon cases.
The Ancestral Origins kit offers a simple way for people to learnh more abouttheir roots. It involves swabbing a cheek with a cottomn swab and comparingthe customer’s DNA to a worldwide DNA The company then produces a map that showds how strongly the customer’s DNA matchex the profile of an anthropological Results take about a week. One recenr customer was state Sen. Mary K. Papen, D-Las who was adopted and told that her mother had dieddurinyg childbirth. The test showee that Papen had a heavy ancestral link tosoutherm Europe. “I’m very excited to have had it I think it is agreat tool,” Papebn said.
According to Long, the best thingg about the Ancestral Origins kit isits cost: “Most of the other tests like this out therre are in the $300 to $400 Long said. The company soon will roll out itsBioResolvr kit. The process will test for predispositio to27 diseases, including lung, skin and prostatew cancer, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s and heart “Our biggest competition in this area offers a panel of 23 diseases and charges $400,” Long said. “We’re offeriny it at $199, half the The company’s crime lab, the Forensic Testiny Laboratory, was built from scratcgh and earned its forensic accreditation in March.
It has been helpingt the Las Cruces Police Department andthe Doñq Ana County Sheriff’s Department work to solve cold It also has been active on a global A recent case came in from A couple had been in a bar watchingf a rugby match. They complained that the TV wastoo loud. Some employeez apologized and then offered the woman ice It turned out the ice cream was laced withhuman excrement. The Forensic Laboratory was able to identifyg the man who tampered with the ice Another case came from theDominicaj Republic, where a medical device company was manufacturing smal bottles to hold eye-drop A disgruntled worker had urinated in some bottles.