Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced a new labeling and hybridization kit that simplifies the protocol for running miRNA profiling experiments on Agilent oligonucleotide microarrays.

The new kit, scheduled to ship in late July, contains all the reagents and buffer needed to label and hybridize 24 miRNA microarray experiments. Agilent’s microarray-based tools for studying miRNAs combine a unique direct labeling method with innovative probe design. The result is a robust, highly sensitive platform that allows broad insight into expression and regulation of all known human, mouse and rat miRNAs. The system’s dynamic range spans greater than 5 logs for comprehensive miRNA expression profiling, and sample input is only 100 nanograms.

“We continue to invest in the miRNA platform, and this second-generation kit is the latest example of this emphasis at Agilent,” said Sangita Parikh, Agilent miRNA product manager. “In the year since we launched miRNA microarray products, the platform has achieved enthusiastic acceptance, and this is part of Agilent’s ongoing strategy to drive growth in emerging microarray applications.”

The following publication is an example of how researchers are using the Agilent miRNA microarray platform:

miRNAs indicate uveal melanoma severity

Researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis used Agilent miRNA microarrays to profile uveal melanomas, the second most common form of melanoma. Lori A. Worley, Meghan D. Long, Michael D. Onken and J. William Harbor published an article in the journal Melanoma Research (June 2008, vol. 18, no. 3), finding that miRNA gene expression signatures are good predictors of these melanomas’ potential to cause death by metastasizing.

Agilent miRNA microarrays are configured with eight experiments per standard 1 in. x 3 in. slide, and three slides are included in each kit. This multiplex configuration minimizes cost-per-experiment in terms of purchase price, handling and reagents. Each experiment requires just 100 nanograms total RNA input per labeling reaction.

For more information, please visit www.opengenomics.com.