RainDance and Sony DADC develop manufacturing capacity for DNA sequencing consumables

29 February 2012

RainDance Technologies, Inc. and Sony DADC Austria AG, have further developed proprietary methods for the manufacture of microdroplet-based smart consumables for high-throughput targeted DNA sequencing applications.

This collaboration enables RainDance to further leverage Sony DADC’s advanced microstructure engineering and high-volume manufacturing expertise to deliver more cost-effective, higher-volume solutions to its customers.

The latest smart consumable to be developed from this collaboration is the HeatWave TS chip, which enables researchers to analyze two samples at the same time using RainDance’s new ThunderStorm System. The ThunderStorm System is a fully-automated targeted sequencing solution that enables the comprehensive interrogation and accurate classification of all variations contained in any region of the genome. With “walk-away” capabilities for automatically processing up to 96 samples per run, the ThunderStorm System offers higher daily sample throughput with lower costs and hands-on time when compared to current enrichment methods.

“Thanks to the latest advances on the new HeatWave TS chip, our customers can now process samples faster, easier and more cost-effectively than ever before,” said Roch Kelly, Senior Vice President, Operations at RainDance Technologies. “Sony DADC is a world-class supplier that brings decades of experience from the development of its Optical Disc technology, as well as extensive experience in regulated markets, which provides us with a valuable source for future smart consumable products.”

According to Dr. Christoph Mauracher, Senior Vice President at Sony DADC BioSciences, the RainDance collaboration exemplifies the way Sony DADC is becoming a key partner for leading life science companies worldwide: “We are finding that our ability to offer advanced microstructuring on polymer, combined with our flexible manufacturing and logistics, is precisely the combination of services required by both emerging and established companies in this exciting market.”

Capable of performing sophisticated, high-throughput and high-precision microdroplet manipulations on-chip without moving parts or valves, the HeatWave TS chip eliminates sample carry over and cross contamination in life science research applications, such as targeted next-generation sequencing and research validation projects. The single-use chip and ThunderStorm System enable researchers to generate as many as 2,000,000 microdroplet-based PCR reactions per sample. The new HeatWave TS chip supports all of RainDance’s commercial applications available for the ThunderStorm System, including targeted and ultra-deep cancer mutation detection, as well as the company’s line of genetic research screening panels: ADMESeq, ASDSeq, ONCOSeq, XSeq, and HLASeq.

Source: RainDance Technologies & Sony DADC