European Molecular Biology Laboratory uses bioarray system to better understand the underlying molecular changes in the transformation of pituitary tumours
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, has selected the CodeLink bioarray system from Amersham Biosciences to perform gene expression experiments in its developmental biology unit, and genomics core facility (GeneCore).
In addition, EMBL and Amersham Biosciences will jointly organise training and access to CodeLink technology through its core facility.
The mammalian organogenesis and endocrinology research group within the developmental biology unit is using the mouse as its model system to carry out studies to better understand the underlying molecular changes in the transformation of pituitary tumours from the benign, to the aggressive malignant stage.
The scientists working on this problem required a microarray platform that contained most of the annotated mouse genes available today, and also needed to reliably record changes in expression levels of low abundant genes.
The CodeLink UniSet mouse 20k bioarray was used to carry out expression profiling on the different pituitary tumour stages in order to gain a complete picture of these expression profile changes.
"Profiling single tumour samples individually on the CodeLink UniSet mouse 20K bioarray allows us to get novel insights into the molecular changes accompanying pituitary tumor progression and development," comments Mathias Treier, group leader in the developmental biology unit at EMBL-Heidelberg. "Furthermore, the user-friendliness of the CodeLink platform has allowed us to establish the system in our lab easily. "CodeLink has become an invaluable tool in the molecular characterisation of all our different mouse models for human diseases".
In addition, GeneCore at EMBL will be offering services for the CodeLink bioarray system to other scientific groups at EMBL, and their European academic collaborators.
This is in-line with the role of EMBL as a global research and training centre.
With the availability of CodeLink, GeneCore will be more able to meet the varying needs of the researchers from the EMBL scientific community, therefore broadening access to technologies in molecular biology research.
GeneCore is already using other Amersham Biosciences technologies to meet the in-house needs of research groups, including TempliPhi DNA amplification kit and microarray spotting technology.
Says Christian Boulin, coordinator of scientific core facilities, services and technology unit at EMBL, "One of EMBL's missions is the development and implementation of new technologies and methods to provide our scientists, and the life science community, with state-of-the-art tools for basic research.
"The access to CodeLink and Amersham Biosciences's new advanced technological developments in the field of microarrays fits well with EMBL's strong commitment to high throughput functional genomics".
The CodeLink bioarray platform includes ready-to-use microarrays of mouse, rat, and human genes for gene expression profiling as well as a ready-to-use microarray of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
New CodeLink custom bioarrays are available as a service to provide either CodeLink custom rearrays, which is prepared using tailored subsets of existing CodeLink mouse, rat, or human genes or SNPs, or as CodeLink de novo bioarrays, which is prepared using gene content provided by the customer.
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 17 member states, including most of the EU, Switzerland, and Israel.
Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology.
The laboratory has five units: the main laboratory in Heidelberg, and outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome.
The cornerstones of EMBL's mission are to perform basic research in molecular biology, to train scientists, students and visitors at all levels, to offer vital services to scientists in the member states, and to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences.
