This story was originally posted on May 20.
Agilent Technologies has hired NIMGenetics to sell its SurePrint comparative genomic hybridization and CGH/SNP microarrays as a service in Spain, making the Madrid-based company Agilent's first certified service provider in the country.
As part of the deal, NIMGenetics has become certified to offer Agilent's workflow of CGH and CGH/SNP microarrays, sample labeling, hybridization, data analysis using its GeneSpring or Genomic Workbench software, sample quality control on its 2100 Bioanalyzer, and DNA microarray scanning on the Agilent scanner, which includes extraction software.
NIMGenetics is a genetic diagnostics center authorized by Madrid's health department, according it its website, and has been accredited by the Spanish Association of Human Genetics, according to Pascal Le Floch-Riché, Agilent Southern Europe genomics sales manager.
It offers an array CGH-based prenatal screening test called KaryoNIM that is designed to detect genetic alterations related to genetic syndromes. NIMGenetics launched the test last year.
Juan Cruz Cigudosa, NIMGenetics' chief scientific officer, told BioArray News this week that Agilent manufactures the KaryoNIM test. "We are currently working with many public and private hospitals from Spain, especially in prenatal diagnosis and clinical genetics fields," Cigudosa said. "We also help R&D groups in their research projects," he added. He noted that NIMGenetics does not provide diagnosis directly to patients. "We need the collaboration of a clinician for that purpose," he said.
In addition to the KaryoNIM test, NIMGenetics offers gene-expression, microRNA-profiling, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-chip services. Cigudosa confirmed that all of these services are offered using Agilent microarrays. "We are conducting the procedures to obtain certification of the rest of the microarrays that Agilent provides," he said.
In a statement, Le Floch-Riché said Agilent has been collaborating with NIMGenetics and associated academic partners "for years," adding the service provider "specializes in the development of genetic research."
Agilent, which has sold CGH arrays for years, launched catalog and custom CGH/SNP arrays in 2010 (BAN 9/14/2010). The arrays can be used to detect copy-number changes and uniparental disomy or copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity.