NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – German molecular genetics analysis firm Atlas Biolabs today said that it has been accredited as a Certified Service Provider for Affymetrix's DMET Plus Solution.
Atlas said it is the first European Certified Service Provider to offer the DMET technology for molecular pharmacogenetics in Germany.
DMET Plus uses microarray testing for research into variations in gene encoding for drug metabolism enzymes and drug transporters so that their impact on individual metabolic capacity can be identified. The solution covers a broad range of 1,936 genetic variants across 231 relevant genes in one assay, Atlas said, adding that it can be used for discovering new biomarkers resulting from pharmacogenetic associations and for optimizing drug candidates.
DMET can also improve translational and clinical trials by elucidating the effects of known metabolic pathways in poor drug responders, as well as confirming metabolic pathway involvement in new drug-metabolism associations, it added.
DMET Plus includes a molecular inversion probe panel for amplifying a target DNA of interest; an allele-specific oligonucleotide array that provides a single-color readout on Affy's GeneChip System 3000 or the GeneChip System 3000Dx v.2; and the DMET analysis software.
"DMET helps translate pharmacogenetics into practice and will take us one step closer to the vision of personalized medicine," Patrick Kelly, director of sales and market development at Berlin-based Atlas, said in a statement.