Invitrogen launches microarray to study non-coding RNA
20 November 2008
Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ:IVGN) has announced the launch of the
first high-density microarray for the profiling of non-coding RNAs. The
NCode Human and Mouse non-coding RNA microarrays consist of both
non-coding RNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) content on the same array. The
arrays are designed by Invitrogen and then manufactured by Agilent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) using the company’s proprietary SurePrint
technology.
Transcription, or the synthesis of RNA as directed by DNA, involves
not only mRNA corresponding to the genes that are translated into
proteins, but also tens of thousands of long non-protein-coding RNAs.
These non-coding RNAs appear to comprise a vast hidden layer of genetic
programming implicated in development and disease pathways in mammals.
“Non-coding RNA transcripts play a variety of roles in a cell,
ranging from simple housekeeping to complex regulatory functions, and
evidence is mounting that their expression is perturbed in many
cancers,” said John Mattick, PhD, Professor of Molecular Biology at the
University of Queensland, Australia. “Because their function remains
largely unknown, these transcripts represent a new frontier of molecular
genetic, molecular biological, physiological and cell biological
research.”
The NCode non-coding RNA microarrays contain sequences of RNA that do
not code for proteins along with sequences of RNA corresponding to
mRNAs, which are translated into proteins in a cell. The non-coding
sequences were generated and subsequently validated by Professor
Mattick’s team at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, and
exclusively licensed by Invitrogen.
“When we talked to scientists about their interest in studying
non-coding RNA, many told us they wanted a microarray that consisted of
both mRNA and non-coding RNA content, which would help them elucidate
the function of specific non-coding RNAs in relation to known pathways
of gene expression,” said Amy Butler, Vice President of Gene Expression
Profiling for Invitrogen. “We answered with an array-based solution,
exclusive to Invitrogen, that has tens of thousands of coding and
non-coding sequences which could answer multiple scientific questions
with a single experiment.”
Because the NCode non-coding RNA microarrays include thousands of
individual sequences, they must be spotted very densely on a glass
slide. To meet this density requirement, Invitrogen partnered with
Agilent to use Agilent’s proprietary SurePrint technology to manufacture
the NCode non-coding RNA microarrays. Invitrogen will market and
distribute the product.
“The precision and flexibility of Agilent’s Sureprint technology
enables an unmatched level of performance and quality that is essential
to conduct array-based gene expression research,” noted Yvonne Linney,
PhD, Agilent vice president and general manager, Genomics. “By selecting
SurePrint technology to manufacture this new array for research use,
Invitrogen is ensuring the consistent performance of the NCode
non-coding microarrays.”
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