ST. LOUIS--Washington University recently closed deals with Affymetrix for GeneChip access and Amersham Pharmacia Biotech to purchase MegaBace sequencing machines. Affymetrix and the university signed an AcademicAccess agreement to grant the school's researchers use of the company's standard and custom GeneChip arrays, instrumentation, and software to monitor gene expression for research purposes. The arrangement, which includes standard terms, conditions, and volume discount pricing provisions, will allow all of the university's researchers broad access to GeneChip technology.
Under the Amersham contract, the university's school of medicine purchased nine MegaBace 1000 DNA sequencers for its activities contributing to the Human Genome Project. The university's medical school receives funding for the project from the US National Human Genome Research Institute at the US National Institutes of Health.