FREMONT, Calif., Feb. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WaferGen Bio-systems, (Nasdaq:WGBS) announced today that it has produced positive results in a study aimed at validating the utility of its SmartChipTM technology for isolating and studying single cells via Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). The study was conducted in collaboration with the Broad Institute, and the findings will be presented at the 2015 Advances in Genome Biology & Technology (AGBT) meeting to be held February 25-28 in Marco Island, Florida.
In a proof of concept study, WaferGen has engineered a solution for depositing single cells into the individual SmartChipTM wells in a directed fashion, to achieve far greater chip utilization. At this level of efficiency, each chip could produce more than 4,000 single cells for analysis. The cell's genetic composition was then successfully analyzed with the NGS method by adapting the Single Cell RNA Barcoding and Sequencing (SCRB-Seq) technology pioneered by the Broad Institute. SCRB-Seq measurements have already resulted in critical discoveries of novel cell types that play an important role in disease mechanisms.
"We are pleased with the single cell transcriptome analysis results obtained with the SmartChip™ platform in this initial study," said Dr. Chad Nusbaum, Scientific Director, Broad Technology Labs, and Co-Director, Genome Sequencing and Analysis at Broad Institute.
"Single cell analysis has the potential to play a significant role in the development of precision medicine, which is transforming healthcare," said Ivan Trifunovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of WaferGen. "We expect our SmartChipTM technology will be able to yield a 50-fold increase in the production of single cells per chip at a fraction of the current per cell cost. We continue to expect to launch an Early Access Program for this technology during the second quarter of 2015."
About WaferGen
WaferGen Bio-systems, Inc. is a life science company that offers innovative genomic solutions for clinical testing and research. The SmartChip MyDesignTM Real-Time PCR System is a high-throughput genetic analysis platform for profiling and validating molecular biomarkers via microRNA and mRNA gene expression profiling, as well as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. The SmartChip TETM System is a novel product offering for target enrichment geared towards clinical Next-Gen sequencing (NGS). The Seq-ReadyTM TE System powered by SmartChipTM massively-parallel singleplex PCR technology, is an innovative one-step target enrichment and library preparation solution. The Company now also offers the Apollo 324TM product line used in library preparation for NGS. These three complementary technologies offer a powerful set of tools enabling more accurate, faster and cheaper genetic analysis based on Next-Gen Sequencing and Real-Time PCR.
For additional information, please see http://www.wafergen.com
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