Greenwood launches Syndromic Autism 62-Gene Panel

RainDance Technologies, Inc., the Digital Biology™ Company, today announced that Greenwood Genetic Center has commercially launched its Syndromic Autism 62-Gene Panel which was built for use on RainDance's picodroplet-based targeted sequencing platform. The panel sequences 62 individual autosomal and X-linked genes that represent the most common single gene etiologies associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and syndromes that include autism as a significant phenotypic feature.    

"As a condition that is commonly diagnosed, it is essential that families affected by autism have access to resources that help them understand this critical healthcare challenge," said Julie Jones, PhD, FACMG, Director, Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at Greenwood Genetic Center. "The simultaneous testing of these genes in a single study provides a significant time and cost advantage over traditional single gene sequencing. Our hope is that this panel enables the more routine use of next-generation sequencing as a tool for identifying the molecular basis of disorders that involve autism."

The Greenwood Genetic Center panel is based on RainDance's ASDSeq™ Research Screening Panel, which also targets 62 autosomal and X-linked genes that are known for their clinical association with autism. The ASDSeq panel interrogates all of the exons for each gene, and 1 Kb of the 5-prime promoter region and 3-prime untranslated region (UTR), as well as 50 bases upstream and downstream of each exon to capture intron/exon splice junctions.

"Greenwood is on the leading edge of advancing the field of medical genetics and caring for families impacted by genetic disease and birth defects," said Andy Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at RainDance Technologies. "This new panel is an excellent example of how RainDance is collaborating with leading scientific institutions to bring powerful genetic research solutions to projects that will expand our understanding of complex conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorders."