Fluidigm Europe has introduced the EP1: a system for genetic analysis that combines the efficiencies of integrated fluidic circuit (IFC)-based genotyping in a desktop-sized configuration.
The compact benchtop system, featuring Fluidigm Dynamic Arrays, is claimed to provide superior data quality, a fast and easy workflow and significant cost savings for SNP genotyping studies.
According to the company, the EP1 system achieves high-quality SNP genotyping results with a high-throughput workflow that can provide up to 9,216 data points per IFC chip, with results in just four hours.
The EP1 system, which includes the IFC Controller, Stand Alone Thermal Cycler and End Point Reader, provides more than 27,000 genotypes a day.
By adding more IFC controllers and thermal cyclers to be used in conjunction with a single EP1 reader, laboratories can generate more than 200,000 genotypes in a day.
The EP1 system is also said to be able to perform digital PCR, such as for copy number variation analysis.
Fluidigm offers a commercially available digital PCR system.
Using a Fluidigm Digital Array - an IFC designed specifically for digital PCR - the EP1 system is claimed to provide high sensitivity and fast workflow for researchers studying copy number variation.
The system can distinguish between four and five copies and provide results in just a few hours.
Gajus Worthington, Fluidigm's president and chief executive officer, said: 'Fluidigm's EP1 system provides the power of IFC technology, the system flexibility to provide true, high-throughput genotyping, the ability to perform digital PCR and a cost-effective system price.
'Customers will benefit from the lowest running costs for Taqman-based SNP genotyping because of the tiny reagent volumes required by IFC technology and they can complete their work - from start to finish - in less than four hours.'
