FREMONT, Calif. — WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., the provider of next-generation genomic analysis systems, will demonstrate the success of its SmartChip Real-time PCR System in enabling new research applications at the premier human genetics meeting, the combined 12th International Congress of Human Genetics (ICHG) and the 61st American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, in Montreal, October 11-15, 2011.

WaferGen will host a Customer Symposium featuring researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Ghent. They will highlight novel applications they have developed to accelerate their research in lung disease and in understanding the role of long non-coding RNAs in cancer using the SmartChip System. Long non-coding RNAs are an emerging class of tumor transforming agents that are key components of epigenetic regulatory networks.

WaferGen will also discuss how its SmartChip System can be used for high throughput genotyping studies to validate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a large number of samples offering great flexibility and cost savings. Biopharmaceutical researchers use SNP Genotyping to measure the genetic variation in individuals for disease mapping or functional SNP screening. SNP Genotyping is also an important scientific tool in agriculture biotechnology for trait mapping and population genetics, in addition to human disease uses. Genetic researchers will now be able to address their SNP screening needs using the SmartChip System’s high throughput yet simple workflow, which will result in more rapid, cost-effective SNP studies.

“These applications offer scientists a unique opportunity to explore the potential of the SmartChip System to advance new genetic and genomic research in ways not previously possible. Our panel of experts at the Customer Symposium will feature results of research advanced and novel methods developed using the SmartChip System. The high-throughput capabilities combined with the simplified workflow of the SmartChip System enable researchers to extend their studies across large panels of targets and hundreds of samples, at a very reasonable cost,” said David Gelfand, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, WaferGen.

“The WaferGen SmartChip Real-Time PCR system offers a more flexible, cost-effective, and easier-to-use solution for quantitative gene expression analysis,” said Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Urology, University of Michigan Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Director of Cancer Bioinformatics and member of WaferGen’s Scientific Advisory Board. “We conducted a comparison of gene expression analysis data using three different technology platforms at the University of Michigan.* The SmartChip results were highly comparable to those obtained using the other two platforms, and the real-time PCR platforms were able to detect larger-fold changes than the microarray platform. These results further demonstrate that the SmartChip platform can be used for gene expression analysis in applications and samples currently run on the common platforms. This is important because the SmartChip platform offers significant advantages over the other platforms in flexibility, cost-effectiveness and ease of use.”

About WaferGen and the SmartChip Real-Time PCR System

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., an emerging genomic analysis company in the early stage of commercialization, offers the transformative SmartChip Real-Time PCR System—a next-generation Real-Time PCR System for profiling and validation of gene expression patterns (biomarkers) on a single platform. The SmartChip System provides a range of high-throughput capabilities including microRNA and mRNA gene expression profiling and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. WaferGen also offers Quick-Turnaround SmartChip Custom (User-Defined) Panels to enable validation studies of specific genes of interest through customization of high-throughput, real-time PCR SmartChip assay panels—all on a quick-turnaround basis.

In addition, the company offers an innovative fee-based service for gene-expression profiling using the SmartChip System. For additional information, please see https://www.wafergen.com