OGT Aids Research into Molecular Genetic Disease

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) has announced a new range of CytoSure™ Molecular Testing Arrays and Panels. The new DNA microarrays utilise a unique collection of probes for detecting copy number variations (CNVs) within genes
associated with a variety of disorders. Three defined arrays are available covering autism and mental retardation, in-born metabolic disorders and neuromuscular dystrophy. Custom arrays can also be created by combining any of the probe sets, allowing users to specify designs that meet their experimental needs. The arrays, which have been designed in collaboration with leading molecular genetics experts at the Emory University School of Medicine, provide cost-effective testing in a flexible format, generating data that is easy to analyse using OGT’s industry-leading CytoSure Interpret Software.

Each gene on a CytoSure Molecular Testing Array is targeted via multiple exon-specific probes, thereby increasing the resolution and accuracy of CNV detection. If required, multiple diseases can be screened on a single customised array. This simplifies the workflow and reduces the time and cost of processing large, diverse sample sets.

The probes for each gene have been selected from OGT’s proprietary Oligome™ database, which contains over 23 million oligonucleotide probes optimised in silico. CytoSure Molecular Testing Arrays and Panels utilise 60 mer oligonucleotide probes in an 8 x 60k and 4 x 180k format, which has been shown to offer higher signal-to-noise ratios through increased specificity and sensitivity. Each array has been verified by Emory University School of Medicine using the CytoSure Genomic DNA Labelling Kit, ensuring there are no gaps in gene coverage and that each
probe performs optimally. Further experimental validation has been performed by Emory researchers, thereby maximising the reliability and accuracy of the system. Dr Madhuri Hegde, Scientific Director at Emory Genetics Lab and assistant professor at the university and leader of the academic side of the project, commented: “Our work requires a high level of accuracy combined with in-built flexibility. OGT has the experience and expertise required to optimise the design of microarrays, which is why we chose to partner with them when developing these testing panels for use in our research.”