Multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement to develop and supply systems for automated target preparation and processing by exploiting microfluidic and micrarray technologies
Affymetrix and Caliper Technologies, now doing business as Caliper Life Sciences, have announced a collaboration and supply agreement to develop and provide automated target preparation instruments for the GeneChip probe array system, the new high throughput array (HTA) system and future GeneChip platforms. These new automation systems are expected to substantially reduce array processing time, reduce variability and labor costs, and enable researchers to industrialise their genomic research.
The two companies will develop products that leverage Caliper's expertise in high-throughput automation and microfluidics with Affymetrix's expertise in microarray technology and applications.
The first products are expected to be launched later this year and will automate GeneChip microarray target preparation steps including hybridisation, washing and staining for expression analysis.
The automated system will enable a single operator to run up to 96 RNA samples at a time, compared to the current manual rate of 20 to 24 samples.
Affymetrix will market and distribute the line of automation products developed under the multi-year agreement.
Caliper will serve as an OEM provider and partner with Affymetrix to provide installation, training and field support for these new automated systems. Future Affymetrix/Caliper projects will focus on developing new platforms for gene expression and DNA analysis that utilise Caliper's microfluidics technology and expertise.
