Oxford Gene Technology in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to develop a microarray to test for genetic defects in unborn children

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute are pleased to announce the signing of a collaboration agreement to develop a single platform microarray to test for genetic defects in unborn children.

The collaboration between OGT and The Sanger Institute aims to develop and validate a microarray to specifically target a number of key pre-natal syndromes.

Speaking on the development, Professor Martin Bobrow, former Head of Human Genetics at Cambridge University, said: “Many thousands of people choose each year to test their early pregnancies for serious abnormalities of development. This new technology promises to make these tests, faster, more accurate and better targeted than current methods which have been in use for the past 30 years.”

OGT will design and develop the high quality optimised 60mer oligonucleotide microarray using its ink jet in-situ synthesis (IJISS) platform, and work with the Sanger Institute’s clinical network to target the most appropriate syndromes, a network of clinicians with samples that will be critical in array validation.

Dr John Anson, Research and Development Director at OGT said: “OGT is currently developing a number of products for array Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (aCGH), applications. The combination of OGT’s oligonucleotide microarray expertise with the Sanger Institute’s drive for the advancement of technology in human genetics will enable our two organisations to design and validate a cost-effective oligonucleotide (pre-natal) array with greater resolution and reproducibility. We are delighted to be collaborating with such a world-renowned team of scientists to develop this diagnostic test”.

Dr Nigel Carter at the Sanger Institute added:” I am excited at the prospect of converting our in-house array designs onto a commercial cost-effective platform which will provide wider access to the clinical community. The new array will enable rapid identification of a wider range of genetic disorders in the unborn child than is currently possible with other technologies."