United States Environmental Protection Agency Selects Amersham Biosciences’ CodeLink Custom Bioarrays for Gene Expression Profiling
United States Environmental Protection Agency Selects Amersham Biosciences’ CodeLink Custom Bioarrays for Gene Expression Profiling
EPA to utilize Amersham Biosciences’ new CodeLink custom bioarray service
October 23, 2003 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected CodeLink™ Custom Bioarrays from Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham (LSE:, NYSE:, OSE: AHM), to perform gene expression experiments aimed at identifying biomarkers to assess aquatic toxicity.
The new CodeLink Custom Bioarray service will allow the EPA to rapidly design unique fathead minnow bioarrays using the established “Six Sigma” manufacturing processes used for all CodeLink products. Using these Custom Bioarrays, the EPA will be able to quickly screen their selected genes with the highest degree of accuracy and reproducibility to determine the best set of biological indicators to use for identifying contaminants in the aquatic environment.
The EPA will provide gene sequences from the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), a standard animal model for aquatic toxicology studies, which Amersham Biosciences will use to create customized gene microarrays. According to Drs. David Lattier and Ann Miracle, co-investigators at the EPA, customized gene microarrays will greatly accelerate the ability to develop bioindicators for water toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The custom-designed DNA bioarrays will enable rapid, accurate, and high throughput screening for molecular markers and ultimately provide a valuable tool for assessing risks to the nation’s water resources.
“We are very honoured to work with the EPA to develop this important water toxicity tool,” comments Sam Raha, Vice President of CodeLink at Amersham Biosciences. “This collaborative effort with the EPA marks the official launch of our CodeLink Custom Bioarray Service, which offers customers access to proprietary CodeLink microarray technology together with the flexibility of customizing the content and design of the arrays.”
As part of the CodeLink Custom Array Service, customers can have arrays made by selecting tailored subsets of human, mouse and rat CodeLink content or by specifying any content of their choice. CodeLink Bioarrays utilize patented 3-D matrix technology along with functionally validated genes to offer the most reproducible, sensitive and reliable microarrays available.
Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham (LSE: NYSE: OSE: AHM), is a world leader in developing and providing integrated systems and solutions for disease research, drug development and manufacture. Our systems are used to uncover the function of genes and proteins, for the discovery and development of drugs and for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The customers for Amersham Biosciences’ products and technology are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research and academic institutions, principally in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Amersham Biosciences—enabling molecular medicine
Journalist Information:
Helen Petts, Product PR Manager
helen.petts@amersham.com
