WGI is a melding
of the latest in technology with traditional business values.
We aim to beat our competition by focusing on data quality and
customer service, and not by controlling access to information
(the backbone of biotech). Capitalizing on the freedom offered
by the internet, we have located our business off the beaten
track in beautiful
Nelson, British Columbia. The move to this vibrant mountain
community has proven more successful than we ever expected,
reducing overhead and living costs while rewarding our employees
with a combination of ‘big city’ career and unbeatable
lifestyle. Our experience is that this unique situation pays
dividends in the form of increased productivity and improved
customer service, and ultimately makes life that much tougher
for those who would compete with us.
Facilities
Our operation consists of two facilities
located in adjacent buildings. In the main laboratory each
technician has a well equipped personal workstation where
they spend the majority of their time. New projects are assigned
to a single technician who manages the project from start
to finish. In addition to providing a challenging and varied
work environment for employees, this approach to project management
maximizes continuity and provides a clear point of contact
for customer inquiries.
The second facility was designed to
contain amplified DNA, which is a potential source of contamination
if it comes into contact with customer’s samples. In addition
to maintaining strict separation of materials and equipment,
technicians only enter this facility at the end of the work
day, after which they are not permitted to handle customer’s
samples again until the next day.
We use top quality thermocyclers and sequencers
from Applied Biosystems and MJ Research. We also emphasize
quality when it comes to DNA extraction, using only QIAGEN
extraction kits which we find to provide the best yields from
small or degraded samples. Despite handling many thousands
of samples per year, the minute volumes of our reactions and
the avoidance of such techniques as radioactive labeling allow
us to maintain a very small waste stream that respects the
health of our employees and the environment.
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