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Wageningen, The Netherlands
April 16, 2007
Keygene is pleased to announce that it expanded its
technology platform with the Roche Genome Sequencer FLX system,
an upgrade of its Roche GS20 system, and the acquisition of the
Illumina® Genome Analyzer. With both new generation high
throughput sequencing platforms at hand, Keygene will be able to
further develop its array of innovative DNA sequence-based
applications and provide a broader range of services to its
customers.
Roche and Keygene already entered
into a co-marketing agreement to promote the new applications
that Keygene developed with their next generation sequencing
platforms.
After building experience for
almost two years on the GS20 system, Keygene will now be able to
transfer its technological and bioinformatics experience to the
higher throughput GS FLX system. Due to the flexible set-up of
the GS FLX system Keygene is now better equipped to accommodate
the specific needs of its customers with sequencing services and
applications, such as CRoPSTM (for polymorphism discovery),
KeyPointTM (for mutation screening) and transposon display in a
service mode. The Illumina sequence technology adds another
dimension to the sequence capacity of Keygene allowing for the
development of other applications, like sequence-based AFLP®
genotyping, whole genome physical mapping and cDNA-AFLP based
transcript profiling.
'These new, cutting edge
sequencing platforms complement each other in their applications
and will allow us to move fast forward in molecular genetic
analysis and improvement of crops and as such support the
realization of our vision on molecular breeding using High
Throughput Sequencing', says Anker Sørensen, acting head of
Applied Research.
Mark van Haaren, manager Business
Development of Keygene states: 'with the new set of equipments
and the developed proprietary applications Keygene is well
positioned to serve a broad range of customers with needs that
range from straight forward BAC and genome sequencing up to
sequencebased analysis of complex biological traits'.
Keygene N.V. is a R&D company with the mission to be the
leading company in developing and applying DNA expertise in the
field of molecular genetics for its shareholder breeding
companies. Keygene has developed a strong proprietary technology
platform based on AFLP®, a DNA marker technology for genome
analysis, transcript profiling and genetic analysis. For
diagnostic purposes, SNPWave™, a multiplexed SNP detection
technology was developed. New sequencing based technologies
include CRoPS™ and KeyPoint™. Keygene exploits its proprietary
technologies, databases and know-how through contract research
and products for applications in the Life Sciences industry and
more specifically in innovative breeding applications such as
Breeding by Design®. Keygene has five shareholders consisting of
major vegetable seed companies that collaborate in the BioSeeds
strategic alliance: De Ruiter Seeds, ENZA Zaden, Rijk Zwaan,
Vilmorin & Cie and Takii & Co. Keygene has around 100
researchers and staff.
The AFLP®, SNPWave™, CRoPS™ and
KeyPoint™ technologies are covered by patents and/or patent
applications of Keygene N.V. AFLP and Breeding by Design are
registered trademarks of Keygene N.V. Applications for trademark
registration for CRoPS, SNPWave and KeyPoint have been filed by
Keygene N.V. |
