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BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Business Description and Basis of Presentation
BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
Business Description.
Transgenomic, Inc. is a global biotechnology company advancing personalized medicine in the detection and treatment of cancer and inherited diseases through its proprietary molecular technologies and world-class clinical and research services. Our operations are organized and reviewed by management along our product lines and presented in the following two complementary business segments:
Laboratory Services. Our laboratories specialize in genetic testing for cardiology, neurology, mitochondrial disorders and oncology. Our Patient Testing laboratories located in New Haven, Connecticut and Omaha, Nebraska are certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment as high complexity labs and our Omaha facility is also accredited by the College of American Pathologists. Our Biomarker Identification laboratory located in Omaha, Nebraska also provides pharmacogenomics research services supporting Phase II and Phase III clinical trials conducted by pharmaceutical companies. Our laboratories employ a variety of genomic testing service technologies, including ICE COLD-PCR technology. ICE COLD-PCR is a proprietary platform technology that can be run in any laboratory with standard PCR technology and that enables detection of multiple unknown mutations from virtually any sample type including tissue biopsies, blood, cell-free DNA (“cfDNA”) and circulating tumor cells at levels greater than 1,000-fold higher than standard DNA sequencing techniques.
Genetic Assays and Platforms. Our proprietary product is the WAVE® System, which has broad applicability to genetic variation detection in both molecular genetic research and molecular diagnostics. We also distribute bioinstruments produced by other manufacturers (“OEM Equipment”) through our sales and distribution network. Service contracts to maintain installed systems are sold and supported by our technical support personnel. The installed WAVE base and some OEM Equipment platforms generate a demand for consumables that are required for the continued operation of the bioinstruments. We develop, manufacture and sell these consumable products. In addition, we manufacture and sell consumable products that can be used on multiple, independent platforms. These products include SURVEYOR® Nuclease and a range of chromatography columns.