Mergen Launches OEM Business for DNA Microarrays
Mergen Limited, a leader in oligo-based DNA microarray technology, announced today that the company has launched a new service of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) for companies wishing to resale DNA microarrays for gene expression analysis under their own trademark or co-branded with Mergen. The new OEM business is intended to complement Mergen’s own ExpressChip(TM) DNA microarray system. The ExpressChip(TM) and the OEM DNA microarray systems are simple-to-use, cost-effective tools for high-throughput, high-sensitivity gene expression profiling.
“Mergen has been producing microarrays since 1999, and we are excited to now offer our manufacturing expertise to other companies interested in selling microarrays specific to their market needs,” said Dr. Jamie Love, Mergen’s Vice President of Business Development. “Our clients now have several options. They can continue to buy Mergen’s pre-printed ExpressChip(TM) arrays or ask Mergen to make custom arrays for their internal use or for resale. Clients can also take advantage of Mergen’s ExpressService where we generate gene expression profiles from customer RNA. This strategy provides maximum flexibility to our clients whether they be large pharma in need of specialty microarrays or small biotechs needing some gene expression data in order for their research to progress.”
Mergen offers oligo design and synthesis services but will also print oligos designed and synthesized by others. Mergen’s manufacturing platform uses contact printing in batch mode assuring high quality spot features and consistency from array to array. Amine-modified oligos are covalently linked to the polymer-coated slides. All manufacturing is conducted in an air-filtered cleanroom under dust-free conditions following SOP (Standard Operating Procedures). Hybridization tests are conducted on representative arrays from each production run and the QC/QA procedures in place guarantee the customer will receive the highest quality arrays. Mergen’s LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) tacks oligos from plate to array such that data produced by any feature on any array can be traced. Although specializing in oligo-based microarrays, Mergen also custom prints cDNA, peptide and protein arrays.
Mergen ( http://www.mergen.com ) is a San Francisco bay area biotechnology company focused on providing the highest quality microarrays and hybridization services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and research customers.
