San Diego’s Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics-based, technology-driven company, has acquired Cypher Genomics, a genome informatics company offering human genomic interpretation software solutions. The company has 14 employees who will join HLI, including Cypher CEO and co-founder Ashley Van Zeeland, Ph.D., who now is the head of HLI’s pediatric business. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

“Cypher Genomics has created important automated and scalable genome interpretation technology informed by additional expertise in genetics and biology that we believe will be invaluable to HLI’s business. The Cypher team, led by Dr. Van Zeeland, is a very impressive group of scientists who will be crucial in augmenting HLI's already unparalleled and comprehensive genomic database business,” said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO, HLI.

Cypher has developed and marketed Mantis, proprietary software which provides comprehensive and unbiased interpretation of genomic sequencing data enabling customers to rapidly uncover clinically significant variants. The company also has developed Coral, a biomarker discovery service.

Industry collaborators for those products include Celgene, Illumina and Sequenom. Cypher also has a number of key academic collaborations, including Scripps Translational Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania and Clinic for Special Children. Cypher, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, also was recently selected as one of the finalists in the Genomics England bidding process to aid in genome interpretation as part of its 100,000 Genomes Project.