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Fluidigm Developing HLA Typing Prep System for German Bone Marrow Donor Database

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Fluidigm today announced an agreement to develop and supply a custom version of its high-throughput library prep system to the DKMS, or the German Bone Marrow Donor Database, Life Science Lab.

Tübingen, Germany-based DKMS finds stem cell donors for patients with blood cancer and other blood diseases. HLA testing determines tissue compatibility between transplant recipients and donors, and the new system being developed, called Access Array System, would allow DKMS to characterize the HLA genes from thousands of samples a week for its donor registry, Fluidigm said.

The Access Array System will automate library preparation for next-generation sequencing with an integrated fluidic circuit to increase sample throughput. Fluidigm said the format "specifically addresses the sample throughput and quality requirements demanded by DKMS, while meeting the complexity of library prep for HLA typing."

DKMS anticipates having the new system running in the fall.

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