IGR Is Also European Reference Training Center

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & VILLEJUIF, France–Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that the Institut de cancérologie Gustave Roussy (IGR) Genomic Center has renewed its status as an Agilent Certified Service Provider and Reference Training Center for a broad panel of microarray technologies including comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), one-color and dual-color gene expression, and microRNA profiling.

The IGR Genomic Center first achieved Agilent Certified Service Provider status for gene expression microarrays in 2005. Today IGR expanded the panel of services to CGH and miRNA, and became the first center in Europe to achieve this status for both DNA and RNA technologies. The center also is authorized to perform training for the same technologies that meets Agilent certification standards.

The IGR Genomic Center achieved this status after passing a rigorous series of assessments. The assessments included proficiency in analyzing Agilent’s 60-mer oligo microarrays using the complete Agilent workflow — from sample quality control using Agilent’s 2100 Bioanalyzer, to sample labeling, hybridization, array scanning, feature extraction and data analysis.

“The complexity of research in life sciences, and in particular in oncology, needs a comprehensive investigation of the genome,” said Dr. Vladimir Lazar, head of the IGR Genomic Center and the Integrated Biology program. “Our goal is to provide an integrated, cutting-edge technology platform that enables us to investigate and to correlate CGH, CNV, gene expression and microRNA expression. This extended Certified Provider Status enables us for the first time to provide first-class and state-of-the art integrated genomic services to our customers in France and internationally.”

According to Prof. Jean-Charles Soria, head of the Early Therapeutics Innovations Service (SITEP), acquiring an integrated genomic vision is extremely important for IGR research programs. Such certified technology reinforcement enables IGR to conduct innovative research.

“The partnership between IGR and Agilent is very comprehensive and efficient, ranging from Certified Service Provider, to European Training Center but also at the R&D level,” said Michael McNulty, senior director of Agilent Diagnostics. “We will considerably reinforce our partnership, and are very impressed by the efficient integration of our CGH, gene expression and miRNA technologies in the innovative research programs and efforts aiming to improve knowledge that leads to more patient-specific treatments.”

Frédéric Laget, Agilent senior director, Life Sciences, adds that this collaboration is unique due to the combination of the Service Provider Status with the Reference Training Center, and that many Agilent customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been trained at the IGR Genomic Center. The impact on overall quality and harmonization of procedures is very positive, he concludes.