Helicos BioSciences adds new sequencing kits and run configurations for its Genetic Analysis System

Helicos BioSciencesJan 27 2010

Helicos BioSciences Corporation (NASDAQ: HLCS) announced today the introduction of a series of new single molecule sequencing kits and run configurations for the Helicos® Genetic Analysis System that will expand its versatility for customers. These new products and configurations, available without any System hardware upgrades, offer customers the ability to tailor parameters of the System to the specific application and number of samples under study. The parameters include:

• Choosing the use of 1 or 2 flow cells and between 1 and 50 channels
• Adjusting the number of strands of DNA imaged
• Selecting run times between 2.5 and 8 days

“The introduction of these new kits is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen the utility of the Helicos Genetic Analysis System. Our current customers have asked for the flexibility to run fewer samples with shorter run times...we listened and delivered. These and other improvements were accomplished with no changes to the hardware and are now available to all of our current and future customers,” stated Ron Lowy, Helicos CEO.

“The 25 channel kit with lower run-time, in particular, fills a need I have. Samples come in for sequencing on the HeliScope instrument in bunches. Periodically we have a lull, so it is terrific to be able to load what we have and go. At the end of the day, it is all about getting the data to the researcher faster, and the new kits and configurations help us do that!” stated Paul Morrison from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, a Helicos customer.

Kit specifications, delivery information and pricing are available through our Sales department at 877-2-HELICOS, or at [email protected].

The Helicos Genetic Analysis System is the world’s first and only commercially available, single molecule sequencing technology, and enables scientists to conduct revolutionary studies in the fields of genome biology, cancer research, common diseases, and microbiology without DNA ligation or amplification. Genetic analysis with Helicos’ technology eliminates the biases, complexity and errors introduced by DNA amplification, requires minute amounts of starting material, is amenable to the analysis of degraded nucleic acids, and provides the most direct and accurate view of biological samples.