GQ Life Sciences

About GQ Life Sciences

Established around 1999 and formerly known as GenomeQuest, GQ Life Sciences operates as a specialized developer of genomics software focused on the intellectual property (IP) domain. The company was acquired by Aptean, a provider of enterprise software solutions, in October 2016 to expand Aptean's footprint into the life sciences and big data markets. At the time of the acquisition, Richard Resnick served as the CEO of GQ Life Sciences.

The core of the business is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model providing powerful search and analysis tools for life sciences patent data. Revenue is generated through subscriptions to its platforms. The company serves a high-value client base that includes nine of the top ten pharmaceutical companies, all five leading agrochemical and seed companies, as well as biotechnology firms, law firms, diagnostic labs, and patent offices globally.

GQ Life Sciences' flagship product is GenomeQuest, an extensive IP search platform. Its primary database, GQ-Pat, is a comprehensive repository of biological sequences found in patents, containing over 674 million sequences from 70 different patent authorities. The platform is updated frequently to ensure users have current data for their IP research. The software provides a suite of search algorithms, including industry standards like BLAST and proprietary ones such as GenePAST, designed for patent sequence comparison. A key function of GenomeQuest is its ability to combine sequence searches with full-text document searches across millions of life science patents, allowing researchers to merge and analyze results within a single interface. The company also offers access to partner databases like CAS Biosequences™ and Clarivate GENESEQ™ through its interface, enabling a more extensive search environment.

In addition to GenomeQuest, the company launched LifeQuest, a specialized keyword search tool targeting a broader user base by allowing them to scan a dedicated database of over 15 million life science patents. This strategic focus on the patent search market followed a decision to exit the next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis market. The platform is designed to ensure the confidentiality of client searches, with encrypted communications and secure data handling.