RainDance Technologies,
Inc., a leading provider of innovative microdroplet-based solutions for
human health and disease research, announced today it will extend the capabilities
of its Sequence Enrichment Solution by offering Methyl-Seq and Ultra-Deep Resequencing
applications.
In a presentation at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human
Genetics, the company said these enhancements represent a significant expansion
of the RainDance technology platform’s capabilities. They will enable
researchers to use their RDT 1000 instruments for epigenomic and ultra-deep
resequencing studies that can accurately characterize the molecular basis for
cancer and other destructive diseases.
“Methyl-Seq and Ultra-Deep Resequencing will provide exciting new tools
to our customers’ research methodologies,” said Christopher McNary,
President and Chief Executive Officer, RainDance Technologies. “Now scientists
can apply our Sequence Enrichment Solution to gain better understanding of how
disease cells differ from normal cells, enhancing their understanding of the
origins and pathways of complex diseases.”
Methyl-Seq Allows Use of PCR-Based Enrichment and Next-Generation Sequencing
for Higher-Resolution Epigenomic Studies
RainDance said its Methyl-Seq application will provide scientists with new
capabilities for epigenomics research, a field recognized in a National Institutes
of Health Roadmap as having exceptionally high potential to transform biomedical
research. The study of epigenomics explores how factors such as environment
can change gene expression and gene activity over time in a manner that heightens
susceptibility to disease.
The Methyl-Seq application will allow researchers, for the first time, to combine
PCR-based sequence enrichment with the power of next-generation sequencing platforms
to perform epigenomic studies at significantly higher resolution. By studying
methylation patterns with single-base resolution across targeted regions of
the genome, researchers can get a better understanding of epigenomic variation
and can discover opportunities to develop new treatments for cancer and other
complex diseases.
“Methyl-Seq enables the targeted amplification and next-generation sequencing
of bisulfite-converted DNA for the identification of methylated bases in the
genome with greater accuracy and quality of data,” said McNary.
Ultra-Deep Resequencing Enables PCR-Based Enrichment to Accurately Characterize
Variance in Heterogeneous Samples
RainDance’s Ultra-Deep Resequencing application enables the use of the
company’s PCR-based Sequence Enrichment Solution to accurately characterize
rare variants in highly heterogeneous samples, such as those found in cancer
tumors. Studies suggest that rare genetic variants may play significant roles
in tumorigenesis, pathogenesis, and disease progression. Previously, ultra-deep
resequencing of heterogeneous samples with standard PCR approaches has been
difficult because of the loss of accurate DNA representation.
“The unique compartmentalization capability of our RainStorm microdroplet-based
technology provides highly efficient amplification of all sequence variants
in the sample,” McNary said. “This ensures that accurate representation
and a high depth of coverage are maintained for ultra-low frequency variants.”
Both the Methyl-Seq and Ultra-Deep Resequencing applications will be commercially
available during the first half of 2010. They will utilize the RDT 1000 system’s
proven consumables and reagents.
“The capabilities of these new applications, plus the expanded-content
DNA primer libraries and WGA sample protocols announced last month, make the
RDT 1000 a highly flexible genomic research platform that easily integrates
with any next-generation sequencing workflow,” said McNary. “Both
the Methyl-Seq and Ultra-Deep Resequencing applications are simple to use and
integrate seamlessly with our Sequence Enrichment Solution. Our applications
will help researchers rethink their approaches to discovery as they unlock the
cures for the world’s most devastating diseases,” he said.