RainDance Technologies, Inc., today announced the commercial availability of the ASDSeq™ and XSeq™ Research Screening Panels. Developed in collaboration with Emory University and Greenwood Genetic Center, the two comprehensive panels enable researchers to simultaneously interrogate key genes known to be linked to X-chromosome disorders and syndromic forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using next-generation sequencing. The announcement was made at the 20th Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting (ACMG) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
“These two research panels are excellent examples of how RainDance is collaborating with leading scientific institutions to bring powerful genetic research solutions to projects that will expand our understanding of complex genetic disorders.”
Recent scientific findings indicate there are more than 800 protein-coding genes on the X chromosome, including many that play a role in autism and other developmental disorders. To date, the widespread investigation of these genes has been constrained by the high experimental cost of current methods and inadequate analytic resolution. Commonly used technologies, such as microarrays and real-time PCR, have made it difficult to detect many of the important sequence mutations associated with these complex disorders. The RainDance ASDSeq™ panel and XSeq™ panel are based on the company's proven microdroplet-based targeted sequencing technology, which features the industry's leading coverage for detecting mutations central to understanding these types of disorders.
"Whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing methods are still too expensive; the large amount of data is difficult to manage in a clinical laboratory; and hybridization-based capture methods lack the required genomic coverage and specificity to target many of these important genes," said Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., FACMG, Senior Director of Emory Genetics Laboratory and Associate Professor in the Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine. "The RainDance panels enable us to apply next-generation sequencing more routinely to projects focused on the specific genetic mutations that contribute to autism and other X-linked disorders."
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