Press Release
New Little Dipper Processor for Illumina® Gene Expression BeadChips
Recommended by Illumina
October 23, 2007—SciGene (Sunnyvale, CA) today announced the completion of validation studies for a new version of SciGene’s Little Dipper™ Processor. This instrument will help researchers process Illumina BeadChips used in gene expression studies.
Through the combined efforts of SciGene, Illumina (San Diego, CA), and the Baylor Immunology Research Institute (Dallas, TX), the new Little Dipper Processor for BeadChips has been optimized and validated for processing Illumina whole-genome BeadChips for gene expression analysis.
The instrument developed for the study, is now commercially available to researchers using Illumina’s Gene Expression BeadChips through SciGene. The instrument is pre-programmed with validated protocols and equipped with accessories for automated BeadChip processing.
According to Shawn Baker, Ph.D., Senior Product Manager, Gene Expression at Illumina, “We have found the Little Dipper BeadChip Processor to be a reliable automation solution for our customers that reproducibly performs post-hybridization washing, staining, and drying of samples. The system streamlines BeadChip workflow that can enhance the quality of data generated day to day.”
Jim Stanchfield, Ph.D., President of SciGene added, “We are pleased with Illumina’s endorsement of our automated microarray processing technology. The new Little Dipper Processor for BeadChips is the successful culmination of creative work between our companies to provide an economical and reliable processing solution for BeadChip users.”
Illumina will now recommend the Little Dipper Processor to its customers for gene expression applications. SciGene will provide system sales and support. Information on the new system and results of the studies may be found on both the Illumina and SciGene websites.
About SciGene
SciGene ( www.scigene.com ) is a privately held company founded in 2003 following the acquisition of genomics and drug discovery research product lines from Robbins Scientific. SciGene provides an integrated suite of instruments that use process control, automation, and protocol optimization to reduce microarray data errors, enabling researchers to more quickly and reliably obtain meaningful results.
