QIAGEN Launches New Automated Sexual Assault Sample Processing Kit at ISHI 2025

* New EZ2 DNA Investigator Sep&Prep Kit automates sexual assault sample processing, improving sperm DNA recovery and separation from victim DNA
* Workflow on EZ2 Connect Fx delivers high-quality DNA in under 2.5 hours, minimizing hands-on time and variability with current manual process
* QIAGEN to showcase new kit and forensics portfolio at upcoming ISHI 2025 meeting
 
GERMANTOWN, Md. & VENLO, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced the launch of the EZ2 DNA Investigator Sep&Prep Kit, a fully automated solution for processing sexual assault samples, at the upcoming International Symposium on Human Identification 2025 (ISHI) from November 3-6 in Palm Beach, Florida.
 
Developed specifically for forensic laboratories, the EZ2 DNA Investigator Sep&Prep kit enhances the separation of sperm from non-sperm fractions and the preparation of sperm-derived DNA for direct downstream use in forensic DNA profiling or next-generation sequencing.

EZ2 DNA Investigator Sep&Prep Kit

 
The workflow is designed for processing on EZ2 Connect Fx, a key system for forensics labs worldwide that can process up to 24 samples in parallel. The new kit delivers DNA ready for analysis in under 2.5 hours, significantly reducing the hands-on time and variability typically seen with current manual methods.
 
“This kit may be one of the most important advances in sex assault sample processing since differential extraction was introduced some 40 years ago,” said Keith Elliott, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing Human Identification at QIAGEN. “For decades, labs have relied on a complex manual process that often limits DNA quality. Our new kit delivers a standardized and efficient approach that could help transform this critical area of forensic work.”
 
Forensic scientists often work with sexual assault evidence samples that often contain low amounts of sperm DNA and high levels of DNA from the victim, making it difficult to obtain clear profiles. This challenge led Dominic O’Neil, Director of HID and Microbiome Product Development at QIAGEN, and his team to develop a new approach aimed at improving sperm recovery while minimizing contamination from non-sperm DNA.
 
The new EZ2 kit introduces a novel lysis buffer that efficiently releases sperm cells from cotton and flocked swabs. This is combined with proprietary bead technology that binds and protects the sperm during a thorough wash process to remove non-sperm DNA. The result is a high yield of sperm-derived DNA with minimal victim carryover. The workflow also reduces manual handling and produces sperm fractions that are ready for direct downstream use with standard DNA profiling or next-generation sequencing kits without the need for additional purification.
 
To learn more about the new EZ2 kit: https://www.qiagen.com/products/human-id-and-forensics/investigator-solutions/ez2-dna-investigator-sep-prep-kit.

To learn more about QIAGEN’s presence at ISHI 2025: 
https://www.qiagen.com/applications/human-identity-and-forensics/ishi-2025.
 
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is a global leader in Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to extract and analyze molecular information from biological samples containing the building blocks of life. Our Sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies prepare these biomolecules for analysis, while bioinformatics support the interpretation of complex data to deliver actionable insights. Automation solutions integrate these steps into streamlined, cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN serves more than 500,000 customers worldwide in the Life Sciences (academia, pharmaceutical R&D and industrial applications such as forensics) and Molecular Diagnostics (clinical healthcare). As of June 30, 2025, QIAGEN employed approximately 5,700 people across more than 35 locations. For more information, visit www.qiagen.com.