>>MADISON, Wis., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Third Wave Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: TWTI - news), Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have successfully applied Third Wave's patented Invader technology to a microarray platform, according to findings published in the current issue of ``Nucleic Acids Research Methods Online''. A microarray contains thousands of unique genetic variation analysis targets at discrete sites on a solid surface or support like microscopic latex beads or a small glass or plastic chip, allowing researchers to test for each of those variations from the same genetic sample at the same time.
The scientists' findings demonstrate that the revolutionary accuracy, performance and ease of use provided by the Invader technology can enhance the high degree of multiplexing, the ability to simultaneously test for multiple genetic variations with the same sample, and ultra high-throughput capabilities of microarrays. The combination of these important characteristics in an Invader microarray format holds tremendous potential for large-scale genotyping and gene expression analyses applications.
The availability of Invader technology on a bead, chip or other microarray format would allow Third Wave to tap an additional large, rapidly growing and profitable market segment - for highly multiplexed analyses - and would complement its unprecedented menu of existing single assay products. An analysis by Frost & Sullivan released publicly in June concluded that the market for those microarray formats will exceed $3.3 billion by 2004. The research was conducted using bead-based microparticles as the solid support; however, the Invader technology can be easily applied to other microarray formats, such as DNA chips.
``The application of the Invader technology to a microarray format will enable Third Wave to offer an even wider range of products to both new and existing customers,'' said Lance Fors, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Third Wave. ``When added to our current formats, an Invader microarray format will give Third Wave the additional flexibility to serve the broadest spectrum of customers, from those needing single assay, low-throughput capacity to those requiring high multiplex, high-throughput capabilities. The successful combination of Invader technology with a microarray format extends the scalability and market potential of the platform and is another demonstration that Third Wave continues to set the standard for products used for understanding the genetic basis of disease and enabling personalized medicine.''
The scientists also demonstrated a number of advantages of the application of Invader technology to the microarray format over conventional microarray probe hybridization methods, including:
* No sample amplification or labeling. An Invader microarray format
simplifies sample preparation because it detects and quantifies genetic
material directly, without the requirement for prior amplification or
labeling of the sample, significantly streamlining parallel processing
of multiple genetic markers.
* Highly accurate mutation discrimination. Genotyping based on enzyme
substrate recognition in an Invader microarray format showed mutation
discrimination between genotypes of up to 300:1, compared to ratios of
between 5:1 and 10:1 obtained with methods currently being used with
microarrays that rely solely on probe hybridization for discrimination.
* Faster than conventional methods. Homogeneous signal amplification and
signal generation at discrete sites permits the Invader microarray
format to generate a highly focused, intense signal in a shorter amount
of time than current microarray probe hybridization methods, which rely
on labeling the target prior to detection or detection after
hybridization using indirect methods.
* Reduced cost per target. Since sample amplification and labeling is
eliminated, sample preparation time is significantly decreased and far
less sample is required, reducing the cost per test.
The authors of the paper are Priscilla Wilkins Stevens and David Kelso of Northwestern University; Jeff Hall, Victory Lyamichev and Bruce Neri of Third Wave Technologies; and Manchun Lu, Liman Wang and Lloyd Smith of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<<
snip
Cheers, Tuck |
