Sigma-Aldrich and Rubicon Genomics announce GenomePlex™ Whole Genome Amplification licensing agreement
Oct. 4, 2004 — Sigma-Aldrich
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 world-wide 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 customers will still be able to order kits via the Rubicon website until the Sigma-Aldrich kits are released in the coming months.
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 GenomPlex 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.
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 award-winning web site at sigma-aldrich.com.
About Rubicon Genomics, Inc.
Rubicon, located in Ann Arbor, MI, develops and commercializes the OmniPlex® family of proprietary amplification technologies for molecular diagnostics and drug development. By combining GenomePlex WGA with related OmniPlex methods to amplify methylated DNA and total RNA, Rubicon has developed an integrated molecular diagnostic test for genetic, epigenetic and expression factors that enables more effective non-invasive early detection and monitoring of cancer and other diseases. Rubicon also provides custom DNA and RNA amplification services to academic and industrial customers. Rubicon will continue to market the GenomePlex kits until Sigma-Aldrich releases its own products.
For further information contact: Dr. John Langmore at 734-677-2797 or visit Rubicon at www.rubicongenomics.com Additional information will be available at the Sigma-Aldrich booth at the Toronto American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting in Toronto, Oct. 26-30.