University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute has selected RainDance Technologies' ThunderStorm system to validate genomic and epigenomic targets of clinical and non-clinical cancer studies.
The targets will be validated from studies including follow-ups for genome-wide and epigenome-wide association studies (GWAS and EWAS), as well as stratified cancer medicine and basic research.
Using the company’s single-molecule picodroplet PCR technology, the system supports various sequencing applications including candidate gene screening, deep sequencing of heterogeneous tumor samples and medical genetics testing.
RainDance Technologies European commercial operations head Mark Dronsfield said the ThunderStorm system offers a production-ready platform for clinical research, generating data with complete coverage and uniformity in any chosen region of the genome.
"The ThunderStorm System provides users with a daily sample throughput, automated walk-away operation, and cost-effectiveness that are unmatched on any other commercial solution," Dronsfield added.
UCL Cancer Institute medical genomics principal investigator Stephan Beck said, "Access to a ThunderStorm platform will greatly enhance our ability to track down disease-causing changes in the genomes and epigenomes we are interrogating."
The ThunderStorm system for UCL is being funded by a grant from Wellcome Trust.