Affymetrix last week introduced a Mapping 10K array for whole genome SNP analysis and the CustomSeq Resequencing array for large-scale custom sequencing. Both products were beta-tested for nine months.
The Mapping 10K array, the company said, allows benchtop whole-genome SNP analysis using a single primer pair to examine 10,000 SNPs in an assay of 250 ng of DNA. The company claims 99.5 percent concordance and 99.9 percent reproducibility for this product. Novartis, Affymetrix said, completed a study of over 500 individuals in two weeks, producing over 5 million genotypes. The CustomSeq Resequencing Array, Affymetrix said, can sequence and genotype 30,000 base pairs in just two days. Further, researchers can choose any sequence, including either long regions or different combinations of genes, and overall accuracy is greater than 99.99 percent. Completed sequence across both strands (30,000 bases each strand) is delivered automatically with minimal assembly and sequence alignment, making high-throughput resequencing accessible to every researcher.
Scienion of Berlin, a 2001 spinoff of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, last week announced the introduction of its sciFlexArrayer hardware for microarray production with a piezo dispenser at its center, supplied by up to eight glass capillaries. The system can spot as small an amount as 65 picoliters, and deliver up to 1,500 spots per second. A computer-aided, miniaturized microscope mounted on the dispenser head monitors the experiment in progress. The dispensation tool and monitoring unit can be screwed onto a modular axis system and linked directly to other parts of the sciFlexArrayer as a complete benchtop solution. The system is priced at €97,500 ($112,000).
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