Expression Analysis Announces Cancer Gene Resequencing Collaboration

Collaboration Designed to Accelerate Cancer Research

DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Expression Analysis, a leading provider of genomic services, and RainDance Technologies today announced a strategic collaboration designed to accelerate research into complex diseases. The collaboration will help characterize rare mutations that would otherwise prove difficult or impossible to identify using alternative methods.

“Eight researchers will be chosen to work with our companies”

The companies are sponsoring a program to work directly with leading cancer researchers to define a panel of high-priority genomic targets in order to facilitate large-scale targeted resequencing studies of cancer samples. At the 100^th Annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting, April 19-22 at the Colorado Convention Center, representatives from both companies will be available at booth # 1261 to field questions.

“Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have provided enormous advantages in sequencing capacity. However, in order to leverage the benefits there remains a need to analyze genomic loci, at high resolution, across large numbers of samples,” said Steve McPhail, President and Chief Executive Officer of Expression Analysis. “Our collaboration with RainDance Technologies will enable us to provide targeted resequencing for areas of the genome thought to be involved in disease processes, thereby providing the research community with tools to accelerate the pace of cancer research.”

“Eight researchers will be chosen to work with our companies,” stated Stephen E. Becker, Vice President, Commercial Operations, RainDance Technologies. “Genomic discoveries are paramount to ultimately uncovering underlying mechanisms of cancer development and we believe this collaboration will work to further quicken the progress of those discoveries – and their ultimate benefits to science and human health and medicine.”

The program will provide 1) PCR primer design for genes and loci specified by study participants using the RainDance primer library design service; 2) Enrichment of target loci performed on the RainDance RDT 1000 by Expression Analysis as well as sequencing of the enriched loci also by Expression Analysis on the Illumina Genome Analyzer; and 3) Data analysis including mapping and SNP detection. Interested researchers should visit www.expressionanalysis.com/collaborate for more information. Closing date to submit proposals is June 12, 2009, and the eight selected researchers will be announced the last week in June.

About Expression Analysis, Inc.

Expression Analysis (www.expressionanalysis.com) provides expression profiling, genotyping and sequencing services using Affymetrix, Applied Biosystems, Illumina and RainDance Technologies platforms. As a leading provider of microarray services in clinical trials and research, Expression Analysis is working with a variety of companies that have developed novel diagnostic and prognostic genetic tests for a variety of cancers.  The company is assisting these companies in generating the necessary regulatory compliant data to move these applications from a research environment to the clinic, where they can improve patient care.