Sigma-Aldrich Corporation announces global release of engineered mammalian cell lines

Sigma Life Science, the innovative biological products and research services business of Sigma-Aldrich® Corporation (Nasdaq: SIAL), today announced the global release of a pioneering range of engineered mammalian cell lines. This new product range combines Sigma's proprietary CompoZr zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology with the Company's extensive experience in gene silencing, to offer innovative tools for drug discovery, compound screening and fundamental research applications.

This new range of products includes immortalized cell lines for a broad spectrum of applications, each precisely engineered to help scientists answer specific biological questions. By exploiting the revolutionary genomic editing capabilities of ZFNs, Sigma's scientists can rapidly manufacture stable cell lines with precise, well characterized genetic manipulations. "CompoZr ZFN technology is a significant breakthrough for cell-based research. It enables scientists to generate precisely controlled additions, deletions and modifications to the genome of a living cell," said Dr. Supriya Shivakumar, Global Commercial Marketing Manager for Functional Genomics at Sigma Life Science. "Leveraging this innovative and powerful technology to develop ready-to-use, validated cell lines is part of Sigma's ongoing commitment to furthering our understanding of biology."

The program will use ZFNs to incorporate and develop cell lines with a variety of cellular markers expected to aid in compound screening studies and biochemical pathway analysis, as well as specific isogenic lines designed to advance colorectal and breast cancer research.  In addition, Sigma offers a custom cell line engineering service, creating bespoke cell lines to perfectly match a researcher's application. "At Sigma Life Science, we have both the advanced technologies and manufacturing expertise to produce high quality, reliable tools for life science research. By offering complete modified cell lines alongside our portfolio of advanced bioediting technologies, we can provide a complete range of solutions to help accelerate our customers' research," Dr. Shivakumar added.