The Biomark 96.96 dynamic array from Fluidigm is an integrated fluidic circuit (IFC) capable of performing 9,216 simultaneous real-time PCR experiments running Taqman assays in nanolitre quantities.
The 96.96 dynamic array, the heart of Fluidigm's Biomark genetic analysis system, provides the flexibility of a microwell plate and the density of a microarray in one consumable.
IFCs meter, multiplex and combine nanolitre volumes of fluids, with precise control and reproducibility, many thousands of times - in parallel - on a single chip.
Using Fluidigm's 96.96 dynamic array, researchers can set up 9,216 experiments with just 192 pipetting steps.
'The 96.96 doesn't require pre-spotting, so researchers have full flexibility to select from the lab's existing assays to quickly and readily modify experiments,' said Gajus Worthington, Fluidigm's president and chief executive officer.
The demands of genotyping researchers require high throughput and high call-rates at very low cost.
'The 96.96 dynamic array delivers more than 99 per cent call rates and can process more than 70,000 genotypes in a day,' added Worthington.
For researchers focused on gene expression analysis, the 96.96 dynamic arrays can be used to identify or validate large panels of genes that might predict cancer progression or help determine treatment options.
The cost and complexity of conducting high-throughput real-time PCR experiments using conventional methods offered limited ability to perform the appropriate assays.
Researchers would often choose a small number of assays to validate.
With Fluidigm's 96.96 dynamic arrays, pipetting workloads, sample volumes, reagent volumes and costs are significantly reduced.
When comparing the 96.96 dynamic arrays to industry-standard 384-well systems using 10uL reaction volumes, Fluidigm said the 96.96 provides improvements in productivity and efficiency.
Fluidigm's Biomark genetic analysis system consists of single-use 96.96 or 48.48 dynamic array IFCs, loaders that control the IFCs, readers that detect reactions on the IFCs, plus software for analysing, annotating and archiving the data produced by the readers.
Fluidigm's IFCs enable the simultaneous performance of thousands of biochemical measurements in minute volumes.
These 'integrated circuits for biology' are made possible by miniaturising and integrating liquid handling components on a single microfabricated device.
