BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business Description

BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

Business Description.

Transgenomic, Inc.("we", "us","our Company" or "Transgenomic") is a global biotechnology company advancing personalized medicine in the detection and treatment of cancer and inherited diseases through its proprietary molecular technologies and world-class clinical and research services. Our operations are organized and reviewed by management along its product lines and presented in the followingthree complementary business segments.

• Clinical Laboratories. Our clinical laboratories specialize in genetic testing for cardiology, neurology, mitochondrial disorders, and oncology. Located in New Haven, Connecticut and Omaha, Nebraska the molecular clinical reference laboratories are certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) as high complexity labs and our Omaha facility is also accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

• Pharmacogenomics Services. Our Contract Research Organization located in Omaha, Nebraska provides pharmacogenomics research services supporting Phase II and Phase III clinical trials conducted by our pharmaceutical customers. This lab specializes in pharmacogenomic, biomarker and mutation discovery research serving the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries world-wide for disease research, drug and diagnostic development and clinical trial support.

• Diagnostic Tools. Our proprietary product is the WAVE® System which has broad applicability to genetic variation detection in both molecular genetic research and molecular diagnostics.We also distribute bioinstruments produced by other manufacturers (“OEM Equipment”) through our sales and distribution network. Service contracts to maintain installed systems are sold and supported by our technical support personnel. The installed WAVE base and some OEM Equipment platforms generate a demand for consumables that are required for the continued operation of the bioinstruments. We develop, manufacture and sell these consumable products. In addition, we manufacture and sell consumable products that can be used on multiple, independent platforms. These products include SURVEYOR® Nuclease and a range of chromatography columns.