Celebrating a Decade of QuantSeq: Unveiling the Stories Behind Our Flagship Product

In the spirit of commemorating the remarkable journey of QuantSeq, Lexogen proudly presents exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with key team members. Join us as we dive into the heart of QuantSeq’s success, sharing captivating stories from those who have played pivotal roles in its evolution. Get ready for an exciting journey into the heart of QuantSeq’s success!

Jeff Hudson, Sales Manager – Navigating the RNA-Seq Marketplace

In our first interview, we sit down with Jeff Hudson, our Sales Manager for the North East US, who has been an integral part of the Lexogen team since 2017. With two decades of diverse industry experience, Jeff reflects on the unique rewards of selling QuantSeq and shares a memorable success story that highlights its undeniable effectiveness.

“Being a part of Lexogen is truly rewarding for several reasons. One reason is the company’s dedication to producing the best products available for the RNA-Seq marketplace and the support structure in place to assist customers. Another is the more immediate gratification of receiving an order within hours/days of an initial discussion with a customer. My previous experience is selling capital equipment where the order process is typically 6 months to a year after initial discussions with a customer. One memorable story I often share revolves around a customer interested in QuantSeq for gene expression work. However, his team thought they needed more than just gene expression data, so I asked him to keep track of what was actually being done. After a while, he reached out to me himself, acknowledging, “You were right. Most of our studies are only about gene expression”. Despite initial hesitations, he discovered that QuantSeq, with its swift sequencing capabilities, provided more relevant information. Today, he’s a happy QuantSeq user, realizing the efficiency and value it brings. What sets this product apart for me is its undeniable effectiveness. I’ve dealt with various customers, including academics, pharmaceutical companies, biotech, and government agencies, and across the board, it delivers. In the long run, it not only saves customers money and time but also provides the essential information they need. It’s that simple.”

Filippo Passardi, QuantSeq Product Manager – A Decade of Evolution

Next up, we chat with Filippo Passardi, our QuantSeq Product Manager, who delves into the continuous improvements and adaptations that have shaped QuantSeq over the past decade. Filippo, with two years of experience in product management and an impressive 15-year background as a sales representative, sheds light on how QuantSeq successfully broadened its audience while staying at the forefront of NGS sciences.

“At the core of our mission is ensuring the success of our customers. We recognize that their success is our success. QuantSeq has been a presence in the market for a significant period. When I took on the role, QuantSeq had already been available for 8 years. The challenge I embraced was reinventing its presentation. I asked myself, ‘How can I, as a Product Manager, tailor QuantSeq to scientists’ current needs, and at the same time explain the technology in a simpler way to NGS newcomers?’ The result? We successfully broadened our audience. QuantSeq, much like a growing child, has undergone continuous improvements despite its unchanging technology. It has adapted to the evolving landscape of NGS sciences, a field that progresses rapidly. Now, QuantSeq stands as a trusted, robust, and established product— and even improved through a decade of refinement by Lexogen scientists. We’ve explored every conceivable combination, accumulating an extensive publication history with this product.”

Pamela Moll, Head of Kit Development – The Genesis of QuantSeq

In the final interview of our series, Pamela Moll, Head of Kit Development, draws from her 15 years of expertise to share valuable insights into the genesis of QuantSeq. She reflects on the unique challenge posed by a customer, leading to the swift development of a cost-effective solution that eventually became QuantSeq. Pamela emphasizes the dynamic and continuous nature of bringing a product to market and the role of word-of-mouth in QuantSeq’s success.

“We were presented with a unique challenge by a customer seeking a 3′ sequencing method, and the non-negotiable factor was the price per reaction. This set the stage for our journey. We explored two distinct approaches, one involving a ligation-based protocol and the other, which eventually became the chosen path due to its cost-effectiveness. Looking back, the development process was swift, but it’s important to note that bringing a product to market is not a linear journey; it’s an ongoing evolution. Numerous adaptations are made along the way, making it a continuous and dynamic process. Reflecting on the initial years when QuantSeq hit the market and started gaining traction, it was truly exciting. The Nature Application Note featuring QuantSeq was a game-changer for us, thrusting us into the spotlight, and from there, the product gained momentum on its own. The power of word-of-mouth played a crucial role—when you have a product of exceptional quality, people naturally start talking about it.”

QuantSeq has been used so far for RNA-Seq library preparation in more than 1600 publications, contributing to some pretty amazing discoveries. To showcase many applications of QuantSeq in different research fields, we have prepared an overview of some of the most exciting scientific publications and Lexogen’s webinars. Read more here.

Explore more about our QuantSeq Family of products, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. We’re here to help!