Syngene - University of Cambridge Installs Innovative Imaging System To Save Time with Important Research on Plant Growth

Cambridge, UK: Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, is pleased to announce that GeneFlash, its unique gel documentation system, is being used by researchers at the University of Cambridge, as part of a method to study plant cell wall polysaccharides vital for plant growth.

The innovative GeneFlash records images without a PC by downloading them onto a compact flash card, and is unlike any other system currently available. Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge are using it to check the quality and size of PCR fragments containing mutations, prior to sequencing and cloning. The DNA could then be used to genetically modify plants to produce different cell wall polysaccharides, so that the scientists can determine what effect the mutations in the genes have on the plant’s growth.

Dr Florence Goubet, a post-doctoral scientist from Dr Paul Dupree’s team in the Department of Biochemistry at the University commented: “We use GeneFlash to get an idea of whether it is worth continuing to take DNA fragments of between 500bp –3kb into the next stage of our work.”

“We chose GeneFlash because it is easy to use and produces high quality images of our gels so we can check the inserts quickly. Since the system is accurate, it allows us to make decisions with confidence on whether to continue with sequencing and cloning, which in the long term can save us wasting many hours of valuable research time,” continued Dr Goubet.

Laura Sullivan, Syngene’s Divisional Manager stated: “Syngene is proud to see GeneFlash being used at such a prestigious university, in research that could lead to a greater understanding of the way in which we grow plants. Their application of the system is an excellent example of the benefits GeneFlash can bring to gel based imaging projects.”

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Dr Paul Dupree, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Building O, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.

Dr Florence Goubet, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Building O, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.

Note to Editors

Syngene is a world-leading supplier of integrated imaging solutions for analysis and documentation of gel-based information. Syngene’s systems are used by more than 10,000 research organisations and over 50,000 individual scientists world-wide and include many of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies and major research institutes.

Syngene, founded in 1997 is a division of the Cambridge based Synoptics Group. The Group’s other divisions, Syncroscopy and Synbiosis, specialise in digital imaging solutions for microscopy and microbial applications respectively. Synoptics currently employs 50 people in its UK and subsidiary operation in Frederick, USA. The Group has profitable revenue of almost $10 million and continues to grow rapidly.

First established in 1914, the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge covers a wide range of research areas. There are several research groups devoted to a variety of research interests including bacterial chemistry, enzyme structure and activity, comparative and developmental biochemistry as well as plant biochemistry.

Since 1950, five Nobel Prizes for Chemistry have been awarded to graduates of the Department. Among them are the two prizes awarded to Dr Fred Sanger for his pioneering studies on the primary structure of proteins and for devising a now widely used DNA sequencing technique.