Agilent Technologies said this week that Singapore-based Molecular Genomics has been certified to offer microarray services using the CGH/SNP, gene expression, and microRNA microarrays.
According to Agilent, the "trend of outsourcing genomics research to specialized service providers is growing in Asia." Molecular Genomics was established earlier this year to serve that market. The firm has its origins in Genomax Technologies' genomics applications team.
Jeffrey Wee, chief technology officer at Molecular Genomics, said in a statement that the company has been "working closely" with Agilent in Singapore. He said that Agilent's array platform will be "one of the core genomics services" the firm will offer.
Robert Schueren, Agilent's vice president and general manager of genomics, said in a statement that expanding the firm's array offerings into Singapore has been a company goal "for some time." After undergoing training and assessment, Molecular Genomics can offer Agilent comparative genomic hybridization and CGH/SNP microarrays, gene and miRNA expression profiling, sample labeling, hybridization, scanning on the Agilent DNA microarray scanner, data analysis using the GeneSpring and Agilent Genomic Workbench software, and sample quality control on the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer.
Beyond its new partnership with Molecular Genomics, Agilent also maintains a sales office in Singapore. In 2009, the company opened a life sciences manufacturing facility in the island nation designed to produce liquid-handling and laboratory robotic instruments. Other array and biochip companies such as Affymetrix, Illumina, and Fluidigm all maintain presences in the country (BAN 3/30/2010).