Collaboration agreed
Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have agreed a collaboration to develop a single platform microarray to test for genetic defects in unborn children.
The collaboration aims to develop and validate a microarray for diagnosing a number of prenatal syndromes. The technology promises to make prenatal diagnostic tests faster, more accurate and better targeted than current methods.
OGT will design and develop oligonucleotide microarray using its ink jet in-situ synthesis platform, working with the Sanger Institute’s clinical network to target the most appropriate syndromes and obtain samples that will be critical in array validation.
John Anson, Research and Development Director at OGT said, “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 prenatal oligonucleotide array with greater resolution and reproducibility.”
Nigel Carter at the Sanger Institute said the array will enable rapid identification of a wider range of genetic disorders in the unborn child than is currently possible with other technologies.
Receive the Funding Newswire each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.