NuGEN Technologies launches its next generation Ovation RNA-Seq System

Dec 2 2009

NuGEN Technologies, Inc., a pace-setter in genomic sample preparation, enters the next generation sequencing (NGS) market today with its Ovation RNA-Seq System, a revolutionary method of sample preparation that broadens research horizons with a more comprehensive representation of the transcriptome created from samples of a few hundred picograms.

Ovation is the first RNA-Seq preparation kit with no requirement for poly(A) selection or ribosomal RNA depletion. Working from total RNA reduces bias inherent in the selection steps, and leads to creation of a more complete data set — including mRNA and polyadenylated regions — for a fuller understanding of the transcriptome.

“With our wealth of expertise in sample preparation, and our track record of enabling a range of RNA and DNA analysis platforms, we enter the NGS market with a product that enhances discovery and fuels innovative research,” said Dr. Douglas A. Amorese, Ph.D., NuGEN Vice President for Research and Development. “The Ovation RNA-Seq System is compatible with leading commercial NGS platforms and this product lets researchers ask more targeted questions with NGS, creating a whole new world of experimental opportunities for our customers.”

Prior to the launch of the Ovation RNA-Seq System, researchers were limited to working with samples of at least 1 microgram. With NuGEN’s patented Ribo-SPIA® (Single Primer Isothermal Amplification) process, in six hours researchers can transform small samples into double-stranded cDNA fragments ready for NGS analysis.

Dr. Avi Spira of the Boston University School of Medicine — an early-access NuGEN customer — said the Ovation RNA-Seq System extends his laboratory’s ability to detect asymptomatic cancer by allowing the interrogation of tiny samples.

“Our group is working towards the discovery and development of biomarkers for the detection of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease before the onset of clinical symptoms,” Dr. Spira said. “In non-invasive collection from the airway epithelium, the quantity of RNA obtained is limiting. I was pleased to see our NGS results generated from the NuGEN Ovation RNA-Seq protocol strongly correlated with previous findings on microarrays, indicating the Ovation RNA-Seq sample preparation method preserved the transcriptome profile from a very small amount of starting material. We are excited about the outcome and plan to use the Ovation RNA-Seq System for larger-scale biomarker discovery projects in the future."

The Ovation RNA-Seq System is the first NuGEN product addressing the gap in the NGS sample preparation space. “Ovation RNA-Seq will drive further expansion of the growing NGS market,” Dr. Amorese says. “This new direction for NuGEN reaffirms our commitment to help our customers ask ever new and challenging questions.”

SOURCE NuGEN Technologies Inc.