Woburn, Massachussets
May 8, 2007
Flexible BioTrove Technology
Opens Doors for Multiple Research Applications
BioTrove, Inc. today
announced the Stanford University Genome Technology Center will
advance multiple research projects through the use of the
BioTrove OpenArray™ technology platform. Researchers in the
Stanford Genome Technology lab, led by Professor Ronald Davis,
Director, anticipate applications in single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, real-time quantitative polymerase
chain reaction (PCR)-based tests, and the development of novel
uses for the OpenArray system.
"One of the challenges facing academic research centers today is
access to high-accuracy, cost-sensible technology that enables
our students and professors to bring their projects to life,"
said Ronald Davis. "By increasing the number of reactions
analyzed at one time by as much as ten-fold, and with the
flexibility to use its technology in multiple applications, the
OpenArray platform enables faster, more cost-effective analysis
of biologic samples. We also look forward to exploring new ways
to use the OpenArray plates in our research," he added.
SNP genotyping is a process that seeks to identify slight
variations in the genetic code among samples. Real time PCR is a
technique commonly used to determine if a specific DNA sequence
is present, and in what quantity, in a given sample. Both can be
time-consuming and costly for academic research centers. Now,
with OpenArray plates and the OpenArray NT Imager, researchers
can easily generate up to 100,000 SNP genotypes per day, without
the need for expensive robotics. With the OpenArray plates and
NT Cycler system, researchers can generate as many as 9,216 real
time PCR data points at one time - significantly more than the
96- or 384-sample-capability of standard equipment currently
available.
Potential PCR-based research projects in the Stanford Genome
Technology lab include using OpenArray plates to simultaneously
detect multiple pathogens such as Salmonella in a single food
sample, enabling rapid analysis of tainted food or rapid
screening of food supplies. Researchers also anticipate
exploring additional novel applications for the OpenArray
platform, including a method for solid-state synthesis.
Development of this new method could have implications for the
speed and flexibility of genetic research processes.
"By engaging important biological questions with breakthrough
technology, Stanford Genome Technology Center researchers
continue to innovate and lead the way in many areas of
research," said Albert Luderer, Ph.D., president and CEO,
BioTrove. "As a company committed to advancing research that
improves public health and quality-of-life, BioTrove is excited
to enable this work."
BioTrove, Inc. offers two innovative technology platforms:
RapidFire™, which enables the acceleration of drug discovery and
pipeline decisions, and OpenArray™, which advances genomic
research in a wide range of life science fields, including
agriculture, disease research, bio-defense, and public health.
With more than half of the world's ten largest pharmaceutical
companies as clients, and partnerships with prestigious research
and public health centers around the world, BioTrove's products
and services ensure that an industry committed to accuracy and
speed can meet business goals.
RapidFire™ Mass Spectrometry (RFMS) uses an innovative
microfluidic technology to facilitate analysis at faster than 10
seconds per sample, eliminating the bottleneck created by
traditional mass spectrometry throughput. RFMS is routinely used
in many applications including the high-throughput screening of
previously intractable drug targets, cytochrome P450 inhibition
and other ADME assays and directed evolution studies.
The OpenArray™ Platform enables genomics researchers to generate
SNP and real time qPCR data in the hundreds of thousands of data
points per day, significantly increasing the number of samples
analyzed while significantly decreasing the time and cost
required. The flexible format and nanoliter scale of the
OpenArray™ system allows for easy adjustment of sample and assay
numbers, achieving economical, high-throughput genomics. |
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