Illumina Announces Broad Commercialization of two Sequencing-Based Applications for Gene Expression Analysis
Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
Illumina, Inc. has announced the broad commercial release of two Digital Gene Expression (DGE) applications that use Illumina's Genome Analyzer to generate genome-wide sequencing-based expression profiles of messenger and small RNA.
These Digital Gene Expression applications, which have been in Early Access testing and evaluation since February 2007, can offer researchers a platform for RNA discovery, quantification of low-abundance messenger RNA, and measurement of gene expression in any species without the need for prior sequence knowledge.
"A better understanding of human disease requires a deeper knowledge of the molecules involved in gene expression," said Martin Hirst, Ph.D., of Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency.
"We have noted a number of advantages to Illumina's Digital Gene Expression technique over classically generated SAGE libraries. This includes a 60 percent reduction in library construction time and a 20 fold reduction in cost per tag," Hirst said.
Digital Gene Expression for Tag Profiling is a whole-genome expression application that can generate profiles for any transcript from any gene in any organism. This approach produces high-quality quantitative data empowering whole-genome profiling of any polyadenylated messenger RNA. It also offers increased sensitivity as compared to traditional SAGE applications and provides unlimited dynamic range for rare transcript discovery.
Digital Gene Expression for Small RNA Analysis is a universal application that supports researchers interested in the discovery of all forms of small non-coding RNA from any organism. Using the Solexa Sequencing technology, this approach has the ability to analyze up to four million small RNAs simultaneously in one sample.
"Solexa Sequencing technology presents researchers with an advanced option for profiling whole-genomes of novel species without the need for probe design. This technology also provides array validation, small RNA and rare transcript discovery, and profiling not well served by microarray platforms," said John West, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Illumina's Sequencing Business.
"The launch of these two new Digital Gene Expression applications demonstrates that we are providing the scientific community with a complete portfolio of gene expression technologies that serve them now and in the future. In combination with our Gene Expression Arrays, customers can select the appropriate technology for their application and remain confident that they will generate extremely high quality data," Mr. West added.
