News
27-Aug-2008 - LGC invests in Fluidigm's integrated fluidic
circuit technology
First Biomark system for genetic analysis in the UK
Fluidigm Corporation, the inventor of
integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs), today announced that LGC has
purchased a BioMark™ System for genetic analysis for use in its UK
laboratories. The system, with its integrated fluidic circuit
technology, adds digital
PCR
to LGC’s existing range of
capabilities, which includes quantitative PCR, genotyping, gene
expression, copy number variation and absolute quantification for
sequencing.
The addition of
IFC
technology to LGC’s
portfolio will further enhance the range of services that LGC
currently offers to its customers. LGC is the first company in the
UK to purchase the system. Initial LGC work with IFC technology
will focus on digital PCR and gene expression opportunities within
the company’s Research & Technology Division, but further
application across the company’s three other divisions – LGC
Standards, Life & Food Sciences and LGC Forensics -- is
anticipated.
“We are thrilled to be working with LGC to
bring Fluidigm’s integrated circuit for biology to researchers in
the UK,” said Gajus Worthington, President and CEO, Fluidigm.
“LGC’s reputation for uncompromised quality makes it a perfect
partner to introduce the special capabilities of integrated fluidic
circuit technology and our BioMark system to life science
researchers. As an international leader in scientific excellence
and technical measurement, LGC is well-suited to exploit the
increasing opportunities for more accurate DNA quantification that
digital PCR offers.”
Dr Derek Craston, Director of LGC’s Research
& Technology Division and the Government Chemist, commented on
this latest addition to LGC’s portfolio: “LGC is pleased to add
Fluidigm’s BioMark System to our portfolio. The system will
initially be used by the scientific teams in LGC’s Research &
Technology Division to look at the accurate quantification of rare
target sequences for applications such as health diagnostics and
monitoring the efficiency of drug therapies.”
The BioMark System uses integrated fluidic
circuit technology to reduce complexity, improve throughput with
nanoliter precision and provide significant cost-savings (less
reagent and smaller samples) for high-throughput genotyping
applications. Fluidigm’s new BioMark™ 96.96 Dynamic Array is
capable of performing 9,216 simultaneous real-time PCR experiments
running gold-standard TaqMan® assays in nanoliter quantities.
Researching all aspects of digital PCR, from
quantification through standardization and comparing it to other
methods used today should help the UK biotech industry be at the
forefront of today’s industry. This is just one of many exciting
cutting-edge investigations that IFC technology can enable.
About Fluidigm
Fluidigm (www.Fluidigm.com) develops,
manufactures and markets proprietary Integrated Fluidic Circuit
(IFC) systems that significantly improve productivity in life
science research. Fluidigm’s IFCs enable the simultaneous
performance of thousands of sophisticated biochemical measurements
in extremely minute volumes. These “integrated circuits for
biology” are made possible by miniaturizing and integrating liquid
handling components on a single microfabricated device. Fluidigm’s
IFC systems, consisting of instrumentation, software and single-use
IFCs, increase throughput, decrease costs and enhance sensitivity
compared to conventional laboratory systems. Fluidigm products have
not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
for use as a diagnostic and are only available for research
use.
Notes to Editors