CombiMatrix to Provide SARS Microarrays at No Cost to Key Research Centers; Toronto's Mt. Sinai Hospital First Group to Receive CombiMatrix SARS Microarrays
BUSINESS WIRE - April 23, 2003 08:02
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Apr 23, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Acacia Research Corporation (Nasdaq:ACTG)(Nasdaq:CBMX) today announced that CombiMatrix will make its new SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) microarrays available to key government and academic researchers.
"Due to the public health and economic implications of SARS, we have decided to offer a limited number of SARS microarrays at no cost to key research centers," said Dr. Amit Kumar, President and CEO of CombiMatrix.
"I am amazed at how quickly CombiMatrix was able to prepare a custom microarray after the sequence was published," stated Dr. Chi Yip Ho, Director of the Microarray Laboratory of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. "It is heartening to see the cooperation between commercial and academic centers on SARS. Mt. Sinai is one of the key centers treating cases of SARS in Toronto. I look forward to working with CombiMatrix and other researchers to enable a better understanding of the virus that will lead to new diagnostics and therapeutics."
"The SARS Genome was published on April 14, 2003, and we were contacted by Dr. Ho the following day requesting information about our customizable microarray platform," Kumar said. "Dr. Ho's request prompted us to fabricate the first SARS microarrays for research use. These microarrays can be used in both basic and clinical research to support studies to understand the mechanism of infection and to potentially aid in the development of diagnostic tests, as well as therapeutics, against this disease."
The CombiMatrix technology enables rapid content redesign and overnight synthesis of custom microarrays. The microarrays can also contain probes for genes in several host pathways. The CombiMatrix open platform allows researchers to use customized microarrays for their specific and immediate needs. |
