BioTrove, Inc. and Gene Express, Inc. today announced their receipt of a two-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, awarded in support of their proposed novel research of genetic biomarkers for lung cancer. Part of the NIH competitive grant program “Innovative Technologies for Molecular Analysis of Cancer,” the project will combine for the first time BioTrove’s OpenArray™ nanofluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology platform, Gene Express standards for accurate and consistent PCR measurement, and the clinical expertise of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, with the goal of creating a standardized genetic profiling test for indicators of lung cancer risk.
“The exciting thing about this project is that we are combining proven PCR technologies and existing genetic knowledge to create a new tool with the potential to significantly impact patient care and treatment options for this deadly disease,” said Professor Tony Godfrey, Ph.D., principal investigator and Associate Professor of Pathology and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “Because a successful outcome would mean simplified workflow and reduced reagent and sample requirements, the NIH review committee recognized the high significance and potential impact of this project.”
To produce the novel Standardized NanoArray PCR (SNAP) gene expression profiling system, the collaboration will combine the Gene Express Standardized RT PCR (StaRT-PCR) standards method to control for false negatives and false positives, the BioTrove OpenArray nanofluidic PCR platform to enable large-scale analyses with minimal sample requirements, and TaqMan® fluorogenic-labeled probes to enable specific detection of PCR products. The resulting SNAP system will provide the same quality and dynamic range of standard real-time quantitative PCR, but with simplified workflow and reduced sample requirements – an important consideration when dealing with limited clinical samples.
“A real need exists for point-of-care gene expression analysis, but without standardized measurements for expression patterns, current technology cannot produce reliable results – analysis can vary from lab to lab,” said David Lester, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Gene Express. “By combining our StaRT-PCR standards with OpenArray technology, we hope to provide a faster, more efficient and more reliable means to evaluate genetic markers related to lung cancer risk, helping doctors provide better care to their patients.”
The SNAP system is designed to both accelerate and control PRC analysis of biomarkers for lung cancer risk. The OpenArray system allows scientists to conduct up to 3,072 independent PCR analyses simultaneously on up to 144 samples in a plate the size of a microscope slide, while StaRT-PCR standards offer a novel method to control for consistent results. Once developed, the tool will be evaluated independently at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Stanford University Genome Technology Center.
“NIH support for this effort speaks to the real viability, and need, for a reliable, convenient SNAP system to evaluate lung cancer risk,” said Colin J.H. Brenan, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, BioTrove. “Combining three proven technologies, and the expertise of Dr. Godfrey, is an exciting opportunity for BioTrove to apply our OpenArray technology toward enabling a viable screening aid for physicians to help improve patient care.”
About Gene Express, Inc.
Gene Express, Inc. accelerates and enables drug and molecular diagnostic development by providing standardized genomic data. The Company's proprietary and patented StaRT-PCR™ (Standardized Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) platform technology for measuring gene expression levels in cells, clinical biopsies and blood is being used by numerous pharmaceutical concerns, as well as leading academic centers. The Company's $3 billion focus market for licensing and contract services includes the drug development, academic and molecular diagnostics segments. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.geneexpressinc.com.
About BioTrove, Inc.
BioTrove, Inc. offers two innovative technology platforms: OpenArray™, which advances genomic research in a wide range of life science fields, including agriculture, disease research, and public health, and RapidFire™, which enables the acceleration of drug discovery and pipeline decisions. With 11 of the 15 largest biopharmaceutical companies based on global sales as clients, and partnerships with prestigious research and public health centers around the world, BioTrove's products and services ensure that an industry committed to accuracy and speed can meet business goals.
The OpenArray™ Platform enables genomics researchers to generate SNP and real time qPCR data in the hundreds of thousands of data points per day, significantly increasing the number of samples analyzed while significantly decreasing the time and cost required. The flexible format and nanoliter scale of the OpenArray™ system allows for easy adjustment of sample and assay numbers, achieving economical, high-throughput genomics.
RapidFire™ Mass Spectrometry (RFMS) feeds samples directly to the mass spectrometer at six to eight seconds per sample, eliminating the bottleneck created by traditional mass spectrometry throughput. RFMS is routinely used in many applications including the high-throughput screening of previously intractable drug targets, ADME assays and directed evolution studies.
TaqMan® is a registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
Contacts:
Dr. Albert A. Luderer, 781-721-3600
President
and CEO
info@biotrove.com
or
Makovsky
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Arielle Bernstein, 212-508-9643
abernstein@makovsky.com
