Agilent and Signature Genomic Laboratories Announce Long-Term Supply Agreement for Oligo Microarrays

Agilent Technologies Inc. and Signature Genomic Laboratories LLC have announced they have signed a long-term supply agreement in which Agilent will supply custom oligonucleotide microarrays to Signature and its customers based on the Signature-designed SignatureChip Oligo Solution (SignatureChipOS). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The SignatureChipOS is designed for the detection of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with mental retardation/developmental delay, autism and congenital anomalies.

The 105,000-feature, 60-mer microarray covers more than 150 syndromes, the subtelomeric and pericentromeric regions, and more than 500 genes in important developmental pathways.

“We’re very pleased about this agreement, which is the latest example of how the marketplace is recognizing the value of our highly flexible, high-quality custom oligonucleotide microarray production capability,” said Yvonne Linney, Ph.D., Agilent vice president and general manager, Genomics.

“We're delighted to work with Signature Genomic Laboratories, which specializes in microarray technology and is an innovative leader in microarray testing.”

“We are committed to giving our customers the best services and technology available, and this agreement reflects this focus,” said Lisa G. Shaffer, Ph.D., president and CEO of Signature.

“Oligo arrays have improved dramatically in the past few years, and we are delighted there are now oligos that meet our high standards. This supply agreement also allows our Genoglyphix customers the opportunity to use high-quality oligo arrays for research applications in their laboratories.”