TRANSGENOMIC, INC. 4% PROMISSORY NOTE DUE JULY 12, 2017

Exhibit 10.2

THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

TRANSGENOMIC, INC.

4% PROMISSORY NOTE

DUE JULY 12, 2017

THIS 4% PROMISSORY NOTE is one of a series of duly authorized and validly issued 4% Promissory Notes of Transgenomic, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company”), having its principal place of business at 12325 Emmet Street, Omaha, NE 68164, designated as its 4% Promissory Notes due 2017 (this note, the “Note” and, collectively with the other notes of such series, the “Notes”).

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the Company promises to pay to [                            ] or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), or shall have paid pursuant to the terms hereunder, the principal sum of [         ] Thousand dollars ($             ) on the earlier of (i) July 12, 2017, or (ii) the closing of a Qualified Offering (the “Maturity Date”), or such earlier date as this Note is required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder, and to pay interest to the Holder on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of this Note in accordance with the provisions hereof. Any cash payment of this Note shall be deemed to be an Optional Redemption and the Redemption Amount shall be paid in accordance with the terms and conditions of Section 6(b) herein. This Note is subject to the following additional provisions:

Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Note, (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Bankruptcy Event” means any of the following events: (a) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) thereof commences a case or other proceeding under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction relating to the Company or any Significant Subsidiary thereof, (b) there is commenced against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary thereof any such case or proceeding that is not dismissed within 60 days after commencement, (c) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered, (d) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property that is not discharged or stayed within 60 calendar days after such appointment, (e) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or (f) the Company expressly indicates its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing or takes any corporate or other action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.

“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

“Change of Control Transaction” means the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of the Company, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of the Company (other than by means of conversion or exercise of the Notes and the Securities issued together with the Notes), (b) the Company merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with the Company and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the Company or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) the Company sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board of Directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board of Directors on any date whose nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are members on the date hereof), or (e) the execution by the Company of an agreement to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above provided that the consummation of the Proposed Transactions (as such term is defined in the Purchase Agreement) shall not be deemed to be “Change of Control Transaction”.

“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Purchase Agreement.

“Late Fees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(d).

“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(d).

“Note Register” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).

“Optional Redemption” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

“Optional Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

“Optional Redemption Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

“Optional Redemption Notice Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

“Optional Redemption Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

“Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of the Notes, regardless of any transfers of any Note and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Notes.

“Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 13, 2017, among the Company and the Holder and the other persons signatory thereto, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

“Qualified Offering” means an underwritten public offering in the United States of the Company’s equity securities.

“Redemption Amount” means the sum of 120% of (a) the then outstanding principal amount of the Note, (b) accrued but unpaid interest, and (c) all liquidated damages and other amounts due in respect of the Note.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

Section 2. Interest. The Company shall pay interest to the Holder on the aggregate principal amount of this Note at the rate of 4% per annum.

Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.

(a)       Different Denominations. This Note is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be payable for such registration of transfer or exchange.

(b)       Investment Representations. This Note has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.

(c)       Reliance on Note Register. Prior to due presentment for transfer to the Company of this Note, the Company and any agent of the Company may treat the Person in whose name this Note is duly registered on the Note Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither the Company nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

Section 4. Redemption.

(a)       Optional Redemption at Election of Company. Subject to the provisions of this Section 6(a), at any time prior to the Maturity Date, the Company may deliver a notice to the Holder (an “Optional Redemption Notice” and the date such notice is deemed delivered hereunder, the “Optional Redemption Notice Date”) of its irrevocable election to redeem some or all of the then outstanding principal amount of this Note for cash in an amount equal to the Redemption Amount on the 3^rd Trading Day following the Optional Redemption Notice Date (such date, the “Optional Redemption Date”, such three-Trading Day period, the “Optional Redemption Period” and such redemption, the “Optional Redemption”).

(b)       Optional Redemption Procedure. The payment of cash pursuant to an Optional Redemption shall be payable on the Optional Redemption Date. If any portion of the payment pursuant to an Optional Redemption shall not be paid by the Company by the applicable due date, interest shall accrue thereon at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 18% per annum or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law until such amount is paid in full. Notwithstanding anything herein contained to the contrary, if any portion of the Optional Redemption Amount remains unpaid after such date, the Holder may elect, by written notice to the Company given at any time thereafter, to invalidate such Optional Redemption, ab initio with respect to any amount of the Optional Redemption Amount that remains unpaid.

Section 5. Negative Covenants. Except with respect to the transaction contemplated by the Proposed Transactions, as long as any portion of this Note remains outstanding and Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $100,000, remain outstanding, unless the Holder of at least 66% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes shall have otherwise given prior written consent, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:

(a)       amend its charter documents, including, without limitation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, in any manner that materially and adversely affects any rights of the Holder;

(b)       pay cash dividends or distributions on any equity securities of the Company;

(c)         enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of the Company which would be required to be disclosed in any public filing with the Commission, unless such transaction is expressly approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company (even if less than a quorum otherwise required for board approval);

(d)         incur, guarantee or assume any Indebtedness, other than the Indebtedness evidenced by this Note and the other Notes, except for trade payables or expenses in the ordinary course of business with debt incurred for working capital, which is expressly subordinate in a form acceptable to the Purchasers to the rights of the Purchasers and for which no payments may be made at any time when Notes remain outstanding;

(e)         redeem, repurchase or declare or pay any cash dividend or distribution on any of its capital stock;

(f)         sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, spin-off, split-off, close, convey or otherwise dispose of any assets or rights of the Company or any Subsidiary owned or hereafter acquired whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, other than (i) sales, leases, licenses, assignments, transfers, conveyances and other dispositions of such assets or rights by the Company and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business consistent with its past practice for fair consideration, (ii) sales of inventory and product in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice for fair consideration, and (iii) a sale or disposition of assets to a third party that has been approved by the independent members of the Board of Directors;

(g)         fail to take all action necessary or advisable to maintain all of the Intellectual Property Rights (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) of the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries that are necessary or material to the conduct of the business of the Company in full force and effect except in connection with the sale or disposition of assets to a third party that has been approved by the independent members of the Board of Directors; or

(h)         enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.

Section 6. Events of Default.

(a)         “Event of Default” means, wherever used herein, any of the following events (whatever the reason for such event and whether such event shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body) occurring after the date of this Note:

(i)        any default in the payment of (A) the principal amount of any Note or (B) interest, liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the Holder on any Note, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, solely in the case of an interest payment or other default under clause (B) above, is not cured within five Trading Days;

(ii)        the Company shall fail to observe or perform in any material respect any other covenant or agreement contained in the Notes, which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) five Trading Days after notice of such failure sent by the Holder or by any other Holder to the Company and (B) 10 Trading Days after the Company has become aware of such failure;

(iii)       a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall have been declared under any of the Transaction Documents;

(iv)      any representation or warranty made in this Note, any other Transaction Documents, or certificate made or delivered to the Holder pursuant to the Transaction Documents shall be untrue or incorrect as of the date when made or deemed made except where such untrue or incorrect statement could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement);

(v)        the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) shall be subject to a Bankruptcy Event;

(vi)       the Company or any Subsidiary shall default on any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other credit facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement that (a) involves an obligation greater than $500,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, and (b) results in such indebtedness being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;

(vii)      the Company shall be a party to any Change of Control Transaction or Fundamental Transaction or shall agree to sell or dispose of all or in excess of 50% of its assets in one transaction or a series of related transactions (whether or not such sale would constitute a Change of Control Transaction). For purposes hereof, a “Fundamental Transaction” shall mean, except as contemplated in the Proposed Transactions (as such term is defined in the Purchase Agreement), if, at any time while this Note is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person and the Company is not the surviving entity, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holder of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holder of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination); or

(viii)     any monetary judgment, writ or similar final process shall be entered or filed against the Company, any subsidiary or any of their respective property or other assets for more than $500,000, and such judgment, writ or similar final process shall remain unvacated, unbonded or unstayed for a period of 60 calendar days.

(b)          Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs, the outstanding principal amount of this Note, plus accrued but unpaid interest, plus all interest that would have been earned through the Maturity Date if such interest has not yet accrued, liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect thereof through the date of acceleration, shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash at the Redemption Amount. Commencing five days after the occurrence of any Event of Default that results in the eventual acceleration of this Note, the interest rate on this Note shall accrue at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 18% per annum or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law. Upon the payment in full of the Redemption Amount, the Holder shall promptly surrender this Note to or as directed by the Company. In connection with such acceleration described herein, the Holder need not provide, and the Company hereby waives, any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such acceleration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder shall have all rights as a holder of the Note until such time, if any, as the Holder receives full payment pursuant to this Section 6(b). No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 7. Miscellaneous.

(i)         Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holder hereunder, including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at the address set forth above, or such other facsimile number or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holder delivered in accordance with this Section 9(a). Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to the Holder at the facsimile number or address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company, or if no such facsimile number or address appears on the books of the Company, at the principal place of business of the Holder, as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.

(ii)        Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Note shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, liquidated damages and accrued interest, as applicable, on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Note is a direct debt obligation of the Company. This Note ranks pari passu with all other Notes now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.

(iii)       Lost or Mutilated Note. If this Note shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Note, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Note, a new Note for the principal amount of this Note so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Note, and of the ownership hereof, reasonably satisfactory to the Company.

(iv)       Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Note shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by any of the Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective Affiliates, directors, officers, shareholder, employees or agents) shall be commenced in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan (the “New York Courts”). Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such New York Courts, or such New York Courts are improper or inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Note and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Note or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Note, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

(v)        Amendments; Waiver. No provision of this Note may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by each of the Company and the Holder or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought. Any waiver by the Company or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Note shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Note. The failure of the Company or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Note on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Note on any other occasion.

(vi)       Severability. If any provision of this Note is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Note shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other Persons and circumstances. If it shall be found that any interest or other amount deemed interest due hereunder violates the applicable law governing usury, the applicable rate of interest due hereunder shall automatically be lowered to equal the maximum rate of interest permitted under applicable law. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on this Note as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Note, and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.

(vii)      Successors and Assigns. The terms and conditions of this Note shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. The Company may not assign this note or delegate any of its obligations hereunder without the written consent of the Holder. The Holder may assign this Note and its rights hereunder at any time without consent of Company.

(viii)     Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.

(ix)        Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

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(Signature Pages Follow)

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed by a duly authorized officer as of the date first above indicated.