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Sigma-Aldrich
and Rubicon Genomics announce GenomePlex™ Whole Genome Amplification
Licensing Agreement St.
Louis, USA/Taufkirchen, Germany, 5th October
2004– Sigma-Aldrich (NASDAQ: SIAL),
a leading Life Science and High Technology company, is pleased to announce a
licensing agreement with Rubicon Genomics, a molecular diagnostics company known
for development of the GenomePlex™ Whole Genome Amplification (WGA)
technology, a highly sensitive, accurate, and proprietary method of amplifying
total DNA from any organism. The licensing agreement grants Sigma-Aldrich
exclusive worldwide rights to GenomePlex for the production and sale of kits to
the research market. Rubicon retains all rights to the technology for its core
market, molecular diagnostics, as well as for service. GenomePlex
WGA produces accurate and robust amplification of total human DNA at the sub-nanogram
level. The process is a random, non-enzymatic fragmentation of genomic DNA
followed by the addition of specific adaptor sequences to both ends, forming an
in vitro molecular library that can be amplified using conventional techniques.
Library preparation and amplification can be accomplished in less than three
hours and results in microgram or milligram yields of DNA. GenomePlex WGA gives
excellent results for a wide variety of DNA samples including whole blood, blood
spots, buccal swabs, serum, fixed tissue, hair follicles, immunoprecipitates,
and single cells. GenomePlex WGA has been extensively used in academic,
government, and commercial projects for SNP and STR genotyping, mutation
discovery by sequencing and heteroduplex analysis, and comparative genome
hybridization. “The
GenomePlex technology offers a robust, efficient and economical approach to
whole genome amplification”, commented Keith Jolliff, Global Marketing Manager
of Molecular Biology at Sigma-Aldrich. “We feel the PCR based system is an
excellent complement to our existing Nucleic Acid Amplification product line as
well as our oligonucleotide offering through Sigma-Genosys. Our existing
technologies coupled with the performance and application advantages of the
GenomePlex system provide a winning combination to the genomics research
community”. “Rubicon
has successfully provided GenomePlex WGA services and kits to the academic and
pharmaceutical markets for more than two years,” said John Langmore, VP of
Commercial Development at Rubicon. “Our customers are convinced that it is the
most accurate and robust method to preserve and expand very small amounts of
precious DNA or degraded DNA into a renewable resource for current and future
studies. We consider Sigma-Aldrich the ideal partner to promote and globally
distribute the technology in kit format and greatly expand the franchise that we
have been building. We look forward to working with them on their product
launch.” Key
advantages of GenomePlex WGA include: -
Flexibility to study DNA from any source -
No detectable locus or allele bias -
Compatible with a variety of microarray, capillary, and homogenous platforms for
sequencing, genotyping, CGH, FISH, ChIP, forensics, and biosurveillance. -
Low background amplification of DNA from single chromosomes and cells -
Increased sensitivity and accuracy for population studies, mutation discovery,
and pharmacogenomics. -
Substantially faster and more robust than other WGA methods -
Robust amplification of problematic and highly degraded DNA from formalin-fixed,
serum, buccal swab, archived, forensic and environmental samples. Learn
more about GenomePlex WGA technology at sigma-aldrich.com/wgapress. About
Sigma-Aldrich:
Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and
High Technology company. Our biochemical and organic chemical
products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research, biotechnology,
pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and chemical manufacturing.
We have customers in life science companies, university and government
institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and
technologists use our products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 34 countries and has
6,000 employees providing excellent service worldwide. We are committed to the
success of our Customers, Employees and Shareholders through leadership in Life
Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about
Sigma-Aldrich, please visit our awardwinning web site at sigma-aldrich.com. About
Rubicon Genomics:
Rubicon, located in Media
enquiries in Europe to Northbank Communications
English
language enquiries to: German
language enquiries to: Katharina
Winterstein, +49 (0)89 2425 7312, k.winterstein@northbankcommunications.com
At the
Company:
in
Tony
Favello, +1-314-286-7879 Kim
Harper, +1-314-286-8374 in
Marcus
Wills, +49-89-6513-1518 Tony
Hill, +49-89-6513-1258 |
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