Agilent Technologies has introduced the Human CNV Association 2x105K microarray for studying associations between genomic copy number variations (CNV) and disease.
The array is based on a design by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), which is conducting what it claims is the world's largest study of CNVs and their relationships to a number of widespread disorders.
Chris Grimley, senior marketing director for genomics at Agilent, said: 'This array design is enriched for approximately 11,000 previously identified CNV locations along the genome.
'The result is a highly validated, cost-effective CNV association tool.' In August 2008, the WTCCC selected Agilent to manufacture the microarrays for the landmark CNV study; this commercial product is a result of that relationship.
Matthew Hurles PhD, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: 'We have used the Agilent 2x105K array for characterising common structural variants in several different disease cohorts over the last several months.
'Our preliminary estimate is that approximately 20 to 30 per cent of the loci on the array are both polymorphic in our British-population study and provide sufficient data quality to assign integer copy numbers to individuals.' The Agilent Human CNV Association 2x105K is configured with two microarrays per 1 x 3in (25.4 x 76.2mm) slide, each array containing 105,000 probes.
Agilent's 60 mer, high-fidelity optimised probes deliver unsurpassed sensitivity and precise copy-number detection.
The design of this array results in more calls with fewer data points because of targeted content in high-confidence CNV regions.
Agilent has also introduced the Genomic High-Throughput Universal Linkage System (ULS) Labelling Kit, along with the Genomic DNA 96-Well Purification Module.
The new kit is four times faster and easier to automate with fewer steps.
Depending on array format, it can reduce labelling cost per experiment by up to 60 per cent.
The labelling kit generates Cy-labelled genomic DNA targets for use with Agilent CNV and CGH microarrays.
It utilises Kreatech's ULS technology to label genomic DNA isolated from tissue, cells, blood or formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples.
This non-enzymatic labelling method directly labels genomic DNA with fluorescent dyes, bypassing challenges presented by degraded samples.
The Agilent Genomic High-Throughput ULS Labelling Kit accommodates up to 48 samples.
The Genomic 96-Well Purification Module allows for simultaneous cleanup of 96 reactions, improving the workflow compared with individual purification columns.