60-mer oligonucleotide-based microarrays to be created to support toxicogenomics researchers to create publicly-available database for the scientific community
Agilent Technologies Europe has announced a multi-year agreement to provide Paradigm Genetics with 60-mer oligonucleotide-based microarrays for its toxicogenomics research, the results of which are planned to be compiled in a public database that will be available to the scientific community.
This agreement comes as a direct result of Paradigm's five-year, $23.8 million contract with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to use gene expression profiling methods to measure the physiological effects of a toxicant, drug or pesticide on an organism.
As outlined in their proposal to the NIEHS, Paradigm will use a gene expression platform for its research that is based on instrumentation, reagent chemistries, informatics and microarrays manufactured by Agilent. "We've enjoyed a strong and fruitful relationship with Agilent, so it was natural for us to partner with them for this toxicogenomics contract," said Heinrich Gugger, Paradigm's president and CEO.
"The flexibility and quality of Agilent's microarray technology platform combined with its willingness to work closely with us in defining an effective project contributed to our success." Researchers today have little information about what happens at the genetic level between the time that an organism is exposed to a toxic element and the time when an outcome, such as a disease, appears. Paradigm's project seeks to identify similarities and differences between responses in order to more fully understand this process.
Eventually, the genetic profiles of organism responses to toxicants will be collected into a toxicogenomics database that will be publicly available to the scientific community for research.
"In addition to working closely with Paradigm to provide microarrays best suited to enable its research, Agilent is also committed to the development of microarrays for researchers who want to conduct their own gene expression experiments and then compare those experiments to the toxicogenomics database," said Barney Saunders, vice president and general manager of Agilent's BioResearch Solutions unit.
"Because our microarrays are based on the industry-standard 1"x3" slide format, they will be readily available to all researchers.
Additionally we believe that the high sensitivity of a 60-mer oligonucleotide probe on our microarrays and our open scanning solution will provide the best quality comparisons available." Paradigm was one of Agilent's first custom microarray customers and is now using Agilent's full range of gene expression solutions, including probe design services, microarrays, reagents, bioanalyser products, microarray scanning solutions, and the Rosetta Resolver expression data analysis system.
