WaferGen Biosystems Offers 5,184 Nano-Well SmartChip for Molecular Biomarker Discovery

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: WGBS), a leading developer of state-of-the-art genetic analysis systems, has announced that it will be launching the Human MicroRNA Panel for its innovative service for gene-expression profiling using its SmartChip(TM) Real-Time PCR System. The Human MicroRNA Panel provides the most comprehensive human microRNA panel of 885 microRNAs on a single SmartChip. The company's SmartChip service offers customers the use of its proprietary SmartChip Real-Time PCR system that utilizes pathway-specific gene panels to discover and validate new biomarkers.

"The Human MicroRNA Panel assures that the latest and most comprehensive information is made available to researchers by providing the ability to quantitate 885 microRNAs on a single SmartChip," said David Gelfand, Ph.D., the company's Chief Scientific Officer and one of the pioneers of PCR. "The SmartChip design allows WaferGen to quickly incorporate newly released sequences giving researchers the ability to stay up to date with the latest discoveries."

"By offering SmartChip services, including the Human MicroRNA, we provide early access to our products and a short-term revenue stream prior to commercialization," said Alnoor Shivji, Chairman and CEO, WaferGen.

MicroRNAs are small non-protein-coding single-stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides in length that function as negative regulators of gene expression by targeting specific messenger RNAs. This either inhibits translation or promotes messenger RNA degradation. Cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are important potential clinical applications of microRNA profiling. The new Human MicroRNA expression profiling service will use the human genes from the new miRBase version 14.0 sequence database, providing researchers with the latest, up-to-date-sequences.

The WaferGen SmartChip Service for the Human MicroRNA Panel will be broadly available in the first quarter of 2010.

The WaferGen SmartChip Service is targeted at scientists involved in the discovery and validation of molecular biomarkers. The 5,184 nano-well SmartChip uses a small amount of biological material to query a thousand genes in a single sample, enabling discovery of biomarkers while saving researchers time and money.

The initial product to be run on the SmartChip platform is the SmartChip Human Oncology Gene Panel that provides pathway based gene expression profiling for Oncology. By applying Quantitative Real-Time PCR Expression Profiling, the SmartChip system combines the gene expression-profiling throughput of microarrays with the sensitivity and dynamic range of Real-Time PCR, the gold standard of gene expression studies. The 27 built-in controls in the Human Oncology Gene Panel and the 12 built-in controls in the Human MicroRNA Panel offer added quality assurance to the results.

As previously announced, the company is moving to a new facility to support the SmartChip services and the expansion of manufacturing and R&D functions.

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. is a leader in the development, manufacture and sale of state-of-the-art systems for genetic analysis for the life science and pharmaceutical industries. The company is actively developing its SmartChip product for the gene expression and genotyping markets. The SmartChip Real-Time PCR System is designed as the first whole genome, high-throughput gene expression real-time PCR platform. Combined with next-generation chemistry and optimized assays being developed by WaferGen under the guidance of David Gelfand, Ph.D., the company's Chief Scientific Officer and one of the pioneers of PCR, this innovative system promises to deliver significant speed and cost advantages to researchers in the gene expression and genotyping markets.

Based on collaborations established with leading research institutions, WaferGen believes that the SmartChip Real-Time PCR System is positioned as the platform of choice for biomarker discovery and validation. The system will provide a number of key ease-of-use features including content-ready chips with gene panels optimized for microRNA, cancer, and whole genome. WaferGen believes the SmartChip Real-Time PCR System will be the first platform to combine the high-throughput capability and cost efficiencies of existing microarrays, with the sensitivity and accuracy of real-time PCR

John Innes Centre Study Shows Antibiotic Molecule Simocyclinone D8 Inhibits DNA Gyrase Activity

Partly EU-funded research published this week in the journal Science describes the newly determined structure of a key antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way. The discovery could inspire a new range of more powerful antibacterial drugs.

The study was carried out at the John Innes Centre of the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) in the UK, and formed part of the CombiGyrase project ('Development of new gyrase inhibitors by combinatorial biosynthesis'), funded at EUR 1.56 million under the 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

The antibiotic molecule, called simocyclinone D8 (SD8), slots into pockets in the surface of a bacterial enzyme called DNA gyrase and inhibits its activity. DNA gyrase, which helps wind and unwind DNA, is essential for the growth and survival of bacteria. DNA gyrase is not, however, naturally present in the human body and therefore it is an important target for antibiotics.

Two groups of gyrase-specific antibacterial agents are quinolones and aminocoumarins. The research team analysed the structure of a third type, called simocyclinones. These consist of both an aminocoumarin and polyketide group. The team found that each of these groups binds to a separate pocket on the gyrase and is relatively weak by itself, but together they form a powerful force to inhibit DNA binding.

The newly discovered antibiotic molecule has two heads that dock into separate pockets of the DNA gyrase enzyme. Together these are 100 times more powerful than they are individually. Neither of these pockets has been exploited before by antibiotic drugs targeting this enzyme and the possibility of bacterial resistance may be less than with other antibiotics.

'A completely new way to beat bacteria is an exciting find at a time when resistance to existing antibiotics is growing,' said Professor Tony Maxwell from the John Innes Centre, and lead author of the study. 'If you can knock out this enzyme, you have a potential new drug.'

'The fact that there are two pockets means that it might require simultaneous mutations in both pockets for the bacteria to acquire full resistance to the drug, which is much less likely,' explained Professor Maxwell. 'You could say that this is a case of two heads being better than one.'

SD8 is a natural product that is made by soil bacteria. The determination of its structure opens the possibility of finding other molecules that fit into the binding pockets, or of designing molecules that work in the same way, but penetrate cells more easily. SD8 could also be modified or new compounds could be developed to design new antibiotic drugs.

For more information, please visit:

Science:
http://www.sciencemag.org/

John Innes Centre:
http://www.jic.ac.uk/corporate/index.htm

BBSRC:
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/

Related stories: 30617, 30931
Category: Project results
Data Source Provider: Science; BBSRC
Document Reference: Edwards, M et al. (2009). A crystal structure of the bifunctional antibiotic simocyclinones D8, bound to DNA gyrase. Science (in press), published online 4 December. DOI: 10.1126/science.1179123