HAMBURG--Sequenom announced that its DNA MassArray Automated Process Line is now operational at its facility here. The company claimed that its technology is the first DNA analytical system that can be operated under conditions characteristic of large-scale industrial processes, and thus it provides the speed and accuracy needed for genomics-based product development programs. A second system will be operational in the company's San Diego headquarters in the first quarter of 1999, with full commercialization scheduled by midyear.
Sequenom said the technology unites high-fidelity enzymatic methods, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and proprietary SpectroChip functional microarrays for use in DNA analysis. DNA MassArray, the new, fully automated version of the technology, is designed for 24-hour operation and can analyze up to 10,000 genotypes per day, with a potential of up to 50,000 genotypes per day if tests are five-fold multiplexed. The system includes BiomassPROBE, a highly reproducible assay that can be used to perform gene mapping, candidate gene validation, and genetic profiling. According to Sequenom, DNA MassArray generates individually correct results based on the molecular weight of the DNA obtained through controlled enzymatic reactions.