The NCode Human and Mouse non-coding RNA microarrays consist of non-coding RNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) content on the same array.
Transcription, or the synthesis of RNA as directed by DNA, involves mRNA corresponding to the genes that are translated into proteins and tens of thousands of long non-protein-coding RNAs.
These non-coding RNAs comprise of a vast hidden layer of genetic programming implicated in development and disease pathways in mammals.
John Mattick PhD, professor of molecular biology at the University of Queensland, Australia, said: 'Non-coding RNA transcripts play a variety of roles in a cell, ranging from simple housekeeping to complex regulatory functions.
'Evidence is mounting that their expression is perturbed in many cancers.
'Because their function remains largely unknown, these transcripts represent a new frontier of molecular genetic, molecular biological, physiological and cell biological research.' The NCode non-coding RNA microarrays contain sequences of RNA that do not code for proteins, along with sequences of RNA corresponding to mRNAs that are translated into proteins in a cell.
The non-coding sequences were generated and subsequently validated by Professor Mattick's team at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience and exclusively licensed by Invitrogen.
Amy Butler, vice-president of gene expression profiling for Invitrogen, said: 'When we talked to scientists about their interest in studying non-coding RNA, many told us they wanted a microarray that consisted of both mRNA and non-coding RNA content, which would help them elucidate the function of specific non-coding RNAs in relation to known pathways of gene expression.
'We answered with an array-based solution that has tens of thousands of coding and non-coding sequences that could answer multiple scientific questions with a single experiment.' The NCode non-coding RNA microarrays include thousands of individual sequences, meaning they must be spotted very densely on a glass slide.
To meet this density requirement, Invitrogen used Agilent's Sureprint technology to manufacture the NCode non-coding RNA microarrays.
Invitrogen will market and distribute the product.
