Faster genomics from Caliper, Affymetrix
now renamed Caliper Life Sciences - are collaborating on ways of
automating genomics research carried out using microarrays.
The companies plan to develop instruments that will automate target proparation in experiments using Affymetrix' GeneChip and High Throughput Array products. The aim is to reduce array processing time, variabilityin results and labour costs, and take genomics research to an industrialised scale.
The first products in the project are expected to be launched later this year. They will automate GeneChip microarray target preparation steps , which include hybridisation, washing and staining for expression analysis,enabling a single operator to run up to 96 RNA samples at a time, compared to the current manual rate of 20 to 24 samples.
Affymetrix will market and distribute the range, while Caliper will act as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) provider and help Affymetrix to provide installation, training and field support for customers.
Future Affymetrix/Caliper projects will focus on developing new platforms for gene expression and DNA analysis that utilize Caliper's microfluidics technology and expertise.
