Klaas Kok, department of genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands, wins 50 free microarrays in the Agilent Technologies Microarray Contest for his innovative research
Kok's winning entry combines array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) with traditional gene-expression profiling in the search for novel tumour suppressor (TS) genes implicated in conventional renal cell carcinoma (cRCC).
Nearly 100 teams entered the contest, which ran from November 2006 through January 2007.
The winner had a choice of two prizes: 50 244K microarrays or 35 slides, each containing four 44K microarrays, including catalogue or custom content.
Kok selected the four-array-per-slide format to do high-resolution aCGH experiments to identify regions of copy number loss and cRCC-related candidate TS genes.
"Agilent is an excellent platform for performing high-resolution array CGH, and is thus, by far, the most ideal platform for integrating expression data with array CGH data," said Kok.
"We congratulate Dr Kok and are pleased to be supporting his research, which could have broad implications across many cancers involving tumor suppressor mechanisms," said Linda Roettger, marketing manager, Agilent Life Sciences.
Agilent is a leading worldwide provider of microarray-based genomics solutions.
It provides research tools that enable scientists to study a wide range of applications, including gene expression, microRNA (miRNA), chromosomal aberrations and gene copy number (aCGH), protein/DNA interactions (Chip-on-chip), DNA methylation and alternative splicing.