Fluidigm Europe has announced that LGC, an international leader in laboratory services and measurement standards, has purchased a BioMark™ System for genetic analysis for use in its United Kingdom laboratories. The system, with its integrated fluidic circuit technology, adds digital PCR to LGC’s existing range of capabilities, which includes quantitative PCR, genotyping, gene expression, copy number variation and absolute quantification for sequencing.

The addition of IFC technology to LGC’s portfolio will further enhance the range of services that LGC currently offers to its customers. LGC was the first company in the UK to purchase the system. Initial LGC work with Fluidigm Integrated Fluidic Circuit (IFC) technology will focus on digital PCR and gene expression opportunities within the company’s Research & Technology Division, but further application across the company’s three other divisions – LGC Standards, Life & Food Sciences and LGC Forensics – is anticipated.

“We are thrilled to be working with LGC to bring Fluidigm’s integrated circuit for biology to researchers in the UK,” said Gajus Worthington, President and CEO, Fluidigm. “LGC’s reputation for uncompromised quality makes it a perfect partner to introduce the special capabilities of integrated fluidic circuit technology and our BioMark system to life science researchers. As an international leader in scientific excellence and technical measurement, LGC is well-suited to exploit the increasing opportunities for more accurate DNA quantification that digital PCR offers.”

Dr. Derek Craston, Director of LGC’s Research & Technology Division and the Government Chemist, commented on this latest addition to LGC’s portfolio: “LGC is pleased to add Fluidigm’s BioMark System to our portfolio. The system will initially be used by the scientific teams in LGC’s Research & Technology Division to look at the accurate quantification of rare target sequences for applications such as health diagnostics and monitoring the efficiency of drug therapies.”

The BioMark System uses integrated fluidic circuit technology to reduce complexity, improve throughput with nanolitre precision and provide significant cost-savings (less reagent and smaller samples) for high-throughput genotyping applications. Fluidigm’s BioMark™ 96.96 Dynamic Array is capable of performing 9,216 simultaneous real-time PCR experiments running gold-standard TaqMan® assays in nanolitre quantities. Researching all aspects of digital PCR, from quantification through standardisation and comparing it to other methods used today should help the UK biotech industry be at the forefront of today’s industry. This is just one of many exciting cutting-edge investigations that IFC technology can enable for LGC.

LGC (www.lgc.co.uk) is an international science-based company and market leader in analytical, forensic and diagnostic services and reference standards. A progressive and innovative enterprise, LGC operates in socially responsible fields underpinning the safety, health and security of the public and the regulation of industry, for UK government departments and blue chip clients.

Fluidigm (www.fluidigm.com) develops, manufactures and markets proprietary Integrated Fluidic Circuit (IFC) systems that significantly improve productivity in life science research. Fluidigm’s IFCs enable the simultaneous performance of thousands of sophisticated biochemical measurements in nanolitre volumes. These “integrated circuits for biology” are made possible by miniaturising and integrating liquid handling components on a single microfabricated device. Fluidigm’s IFC systems, consisting of instrumentation, software and single-use IFCs, increase throughput, decrease costs and enhance sensitivity compared to conventional laboratory systems. Fluidigm products have not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a diagnostic and are only available for research use.

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