Get to know the Archer team

The takeaway: The Archer team is passionate about what they do—read this to learn more about who they are, what they believe in, and how they strive to make NGS accessible to everyone.

You might know Archer, now a part of Integrated DNA Technologies, as a leader in cancer at the forefront of cancer research using NGS—the company specializes in advanced molecular detection research products that are easy to use, accurate, and available around the world.

But Archer is more than just a leader in producing tools for NGS in cancer research. It’s a small, close-knit team that brings a personal touch to everything it does.

Archer is now a part of Integrated DNA Technologies

Archer, based in Boulder, Colo., became a part of IDT in December 2022 when IDT purchased its NGS research assays. The purchase boosted IDT’s xGen™ suite of NGS tools and solutions and expanded access to Archer research products through IDT. Together, the integration of the two companies will empower labs around the world with a one-stop solution for researchers seeking to uncover biomarkers and advance cancer research.

What products does Archer sell?

Archer sells a wide portfolio of off-the-shelf and custom products powered by Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP™) chemistry. Coupled with an integrated bioinformatic platform, Archer offers a complete, easy-to-use solution that supports advances in cancer research. These solutions include:

• Blood cancer research panels
• Custom panels for biomarker targets
• Solid tumor research panels
• Research tools powered by Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP™) technology

What about Archer’s history?

Archer was established in 2013 in an office on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. It moved into its current location on the east side of Boulder in 2014. Throughout its history, the company has focused on the development of in-house solutions and technologies. Some of those innovative tools include Assay Marketplace, which were developed to level the playing field and make NGS-fueled oncology research accessible to everyone, and two other levels of custom services—Assay Designer and Designer Pro.

Who makes up the Archer team?

Here are just some of the pros who are helping to make Archer a leader in NGS.

Verity Johnson, vice president of Archer product

Johnson, a University of Colorado grad, has been at Archer since 2016. She started as a research scientist in custom assay development and worked her way up to vice president, leading the team of 100 and acting as a key figure in the IDT integration.

Out of school, Johnson was conducting research but had a stark realization—she wanted to be at Archer. In its early days, the company was a start-up, and Johnson wore multiple hats. While the company has grown, she said, it continues on with its lean start-up mentality.

“Our mission is to democratize personalized medicine, and that mission really speaks to me,” she said. “For us it is about accessibility. We want as many labs as possible to have access to superior tools to advance cancer research.”

That mission of democratization is a key foundation of the company, and Johnson said they have no intention of selling only to experienced researchers.

“The mission is NGS for everyone,” she said. “We always come back to working to provide access to the best possible tools. I really love the work we do and the people we do it with.”

Elina Wegner, associate director of Archer product

Like Johnson, Wegner has been with Archer since its earliest days. A graduate of Metropolitan State University in nearby Denver, Wenger joined Archer as a research associate in early 2015 and served a variety of roles, including those that took her away from the mountains.

Wegner applauds Archer for its focus on user-friendliness and affordability, and sees that the integration with IDT will help Archer be more efficient on several levels.

“With IDT, I am excited to work towards increasing our operational efficiency while scaling for growth,” she said.

Mariah White, quality manager

Mariah White is a Kutztown University of Pennsylvania graduate with nearly a decade of experience in quality control, quality assurance, and lab assessing. She came to Archer in 2018, attracted to the start-up spirit and drawn to the company’s culture.

“I love the people and I work with and the team as a whole, especially the collaborative environment,” she said.

As quality manager at Archer, she coordinates with customers and operations teams to support product quality, and helps the company’s research and development team when they are working on new products.

“I’m here for the products and the customers,” she said. “It is easy to get in and help and support what we do, and see how that has a positive outcome and end result for the customers. I’ve stayed with Archer because of the impact we are making.”

Annouck Luyten, director of customer success

Annouck Luyten has extensive experience as a bench scientist, having worked in sequencing and epigenetics for more than a decade. Previously working academia, she moved to Boulder in 2015 and eventually migrated to Archer, where she put her bench work into practice for customer support and success. She has seen sequencing evolve as a tool over the years and watched Archer take advantage of breakthroughs in research methodology and technology. Now, she is ready to help the company service customers who are seeking to leverage automation in their research workflows.

“People know Archer,” she said, “and how our team tries to help customers.”

Archer’s support team, she said, focuses on working quickly and diligently to help its customers.

“People rave about that,” she said. “They love our support.”

Now a part of IDT, Archer is continuing its quest for exceptional products.

“It is fun to work with something that works really well,” she said. “We put our customers first, and that shows in everything we do.”