LOS ANGELES--BioDiscovery, a new biotechnology research company here, has allied with SmithKline Beecham, King of Prussia, Pa., to develop an automated software system supporting large-scale gene expression analysis that utilizes SmithKline's microarray data. Under the agreement, SmithKline will buy a number of software licenses to implement the new system in its laboratories. BioDiscovery will market the product developed through the collaboration.
BioDiscovery said the yet-to-be-developed software will be based on its ImaGene Array Image Analyzer and will be capable of high-throughput unattended processing of expression array data sets with grid configurations of any size or density.
Soheil Shams, BioDiscovery's president, said the new system will automatically qualify and grade each array for reporting via online statistical evaluation of several parameters, and will alert researchers to significant process or quality variations during manipulation of array series.
"SmithKline Beecham recognizes that processing more differential expression studies doesn't necessarily yield more meaningful information, unless individual gene quantitation accuracy is guaranteed," he noted. "They've selected ImaGene as the foundation on which to build a platform that can handle all their future needs."