Sequentia Biotech, a CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, has expanded the functions of its GAIA 2.0 microbiome-analysis software to provide support for researchers working on SARS-Cov-2 studies.

GAIA was launched in 2016 and has had over 800 users and analysed 20,000 samples in 2019. The current version can be used to detect and analyse NGS data for the virus very precisely, quickly and with high sensitivity, as well as identifying viral strains, even in complex viral matrices. 

It works with Amplicon and Shotgun sequencing, with data from any NGS platform (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio, IonTorrent) and starting from any biological sample. 

Sequentia was created in 2013 by Italian researchers Walter Sanseverino and Riccardo Aiese Cigliano, who believed in Barcelona and the international renown of the bioregion. The company offers bioinformatics solutions (SaaS and custom software) for research centres and companies in the areas of health, agriculture, food and the environment. The company has a portfolio of clients in over 60 countries.

Photo: Walter Sanseverino and Riccardo Aiese Cigliano, founders of Sequentia – © Sequentia Biotech