Two companies are to use the GS FLX System and GS Junior System from 454 Life Sciences, a Roche company, to develop workflows for targeted resequencing applications in the field of human genetics.
The two German sister companies, IMGM Laboratories and the Center for Human Genetics and Laboratory Medicine Dr Klein and Dr Rost, are interested in the advantages of the technology for potential diagnostics applications.
Dr Ralph Oehlmann, director of business development at IMGM, said: 'We believe that 454 sequencing systems and the Fluidigm Access Array 48.48 System are a perfect match when it comes to amplicon-based targeted resequencing.
'With access arrays, target amplification and library preparation can be combined elegantly in one single step.
'In just less than four hours, 2,304 nanolitre PCR reactions can be carried out to convert 48 samples into 48 pools consisting of 48 barcoded amplicons each.
'In addition to rendering general sequencing services, our main focus will be to offer first-class assay development and validation services for the GS FLX and GS Junior platforms,' he added.
Dr Hanns-Georg Klein, managing director and chief executive officer of both IMGM and the Center for Human Genetics and Laboratory Medicine Dr Klein and Dr Rost, said: 'We strongly believe that diagnostic sequencing will rapidly adopt the high-throughput technologies used now for genomic research.
'We have already introduced array technologies for molecular karyotyping some years ago and will now address the massive parallel analysis of disease-associated gene panels using next-generation sequencing [NGS].
'The technology will facilitate the molecular diagnostics of clinically heterogeneous diseases such as cardiovascular, connective tissue or neuropsychiatric disorders involving 20-100 different genes.
'Also, the analysis of multiple genetic risk factors could be more efficiently integrated into prevention programs by the elaboration of reliable genetic criteria for high-risk individuals.
'454 sequencing systems offer long reads and quick runtimes - both essential factors for diagnostic sequencing.
'However, before NGS can be implemented into a routine diagnostics workflow, this promising new technology will have to be thoroughly validated to demonstrate an error-free performance,' added Klein.
