Bespoke arrays at off-the-peg prices
to customers with the launch of the NimbleExpress Array Programme,
which caters for users that require fewer units.
The arrays for intended for use in smaller scale studies or pilot experiments, and to make them more accessible Affymetrix is only charging a nominal upfront fees and can be ordered in smaller numbers (minimum of 10 arrays).
The goal of most current array-based experiments is to monitor RNA expression levels from a global perspective, but they are also used to examine DNA sequences for changes that could signpost genes of interest, for example mutations that are linked to cancer.
The new product range extends Affymetrix' CustomExpress range which can be made with 520 to 61,000 transcripts on a single array, although the chips have a lower capacity (up to 12,000 transcripts - or 282,000 unique oligonucleotides). Customers placing an order can expect to get their bespoke arrays within four weeks, according to the company.
Lianne McLean, director of gene expression marketing at Affymetrix, said that the arrays deliver - on a smaller scale - the arrays and service offered by its GeneChip CustomExpress programme.
Last week, scientists at the European Society of Human Genetics Meeting 2004 presented a series of studies using Affymetrix' GeneChip arrays to identify mutations in cancers and developmental disorders. The microarrays enabled scientists to simultaneously genotype and characterise chromosomal abnormalities, including amplifications and deletions in tumours, in previously unattainable detail.
The arrays will be manufactured by NimbleGen Systems for Affymetrix, using its photolithographic Maskless Array Synthesis (MAS) technology.
