Paper Finds Microdroplet PCR Enrichment Is Ideal Targeted Sequencing Solution For Large-Scale Population Studies

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Data generated using microdroplet PCR technology as an enrichment method is
particularly well suited for performing sequence-based association studies,
according to a paper published today by researchers at the Scripps Translational
Science Institute, the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine,
and RainDance Technologies, Inc.

The study, led by Kelly A. Frazer, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Chief,
Division of Genome Information Sciences, UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics,
evaluated microdroplet PCR`s advantages in performing sequence enrichment for
targeted sequencing over the gold-standard traditional PCR approach. "These
benefits translated into a much higher efficiency of sequencing and a much more
cost-effective way to do population studies," Frazer said, in commenting about
the paper.

Entitled "Microdroplet-based PCR Enrichment for Large-Scale Targeted
Sequencing," the paper was published today on Nature Biotechnology`s Web site at
Microdroplet-based PCR enrichment for large-scale targeted sequencing : Abstract
: Nature Biotechnology
(www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nbt.1583.html) and will appear in
the November issue of the magazine.

"I believe this new technology will be used to study the basic underpinnings of
diseases and to understand their root causes," said Eric J. Topol, M.D.,
Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute and a co-author. "For
instance, we`re now using it to understand the causes of anorexia nervosa. We
also can use the technology to comprehend a disease`s response to a therapy or
to determine a drug`s side effects. We even can employ it to study the healthy
aging process. These are all applications for microdroplet PCR that will help us
understand the vital aspects of human health and disease," said Dr. Topol, in
commenting on the paper.

The paper said that to efficiently perform population-based sequencing studies
using next-generation sequencing platforms, it is important to be able to
simultaneously examine large numbers of targeted sequences. "These results
indicate that even when simultaneously amplifying 3,976 targeted sequences,
microdroplet PCR generates a high ratio of target sequence to background
sequence," the authors said. The study concluded that data quality is
independent of the number of amplicons. A path to scale to 20,000 amplicons
while maintaining high performance was also demonstrated.

The paper`s authors said the microdroplet PCR process proved to be extremely
efficient, with more than 99.6% of all amplicons being successful and with
highly reproducible amplification of targeted sequences between samples. The
data also showed that equivalently accurate SNP calling can be performed using
microdroplet PCR whether the DNA is unamplified or whole-genome amplified from
nanogram quantities. The allelic bias error rate of approximately 0.1% resulted
in few known variants to be incorrectly called, further attesting to the
robustness of the process.

"We were impressed with how well the technology worked," said Dr. Frazer.
"Compared to other types of sequence enrichment, we were able to generate
greater uniform coverage of targeted sequences. In addition, the problems we
typically encounter with standard PCR, such as difficult primer design and high
allelic bias, were not observed with the microdroplet-based PCR workflow."

"Efficient targeted sequencing will be critical as researchers study genetic
variation in large populations to determine the causes of cancer and other
complex diseases," said Christopher McNary, President and Chief Executive
Officer, RainDance Technologies. "This study confirms that our innovative RDT
1000 microdroplet-based platform is able to detect substantially higher numbers
of variants in the targeted sequences than either solution-based hybridization
or molecular inversion probes. This platform provides scientists with an
exciting and highly effective new technology that accelerates research into the
causes of these devastating diseases," said McNary.

To view the paper, visit Microdroplet-based PCR enrichment for large-scale
targeted sequencing : Abstract : Nature Biotechnology
(www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nbt.1583.html) or see the November
2009 issue of Nature Biotechnology: "Microdroplet-based PCR Enrichment for
Large-Scale Targeted Sequencing." Authors: Ryan Tewhey1,2, Jason Warner3,
Masakazu Nakano1,4, Brian Libby3, Martina Medkova3, Patricia David3, Steve
Kotsopoulos3, Michael Samuels3, J. Brian Hutchinson3, Jonathan W. Larson3, Eric
J. Topol1, Michael P. Weiner3, Olivier Harismendy1,4, Jeff Olson3, Darren R.
Link3, and Kelly A. Frazer1,4. DOI:10.1038/nbt.1583.

About RainDance Technologies, Inc.

RainDance Technologies, Inc., is a provider of innovative microdroplet-based
solutions for single-cell analyses that will accelerate human health and disease
research. The speed and simplicity of the company`s exciting new technology
platform enable researchers to design experiments in ways that were previously
unaffordable or unimaginable. The company`s RainStormTM technology produces
picoliter-volume droplets at a rate of 10 million per hour. Each droplet is the
functional equivalent of an individual test tube and can contain a single
molecule, reaction, or cell. This versatile technology can adapt proven assays
for high-speed workflows with minimized process-induced bias or error.

RainDance`s initial application focuses on the targeted sequencing of the human
genome - one of the fastest-growing segments of the $1 billion DNA sequencing
market. This application enables the high-resolution analysis of genetic
variation between individuals and populations at a level unmatched by current
methodology.

For more information, please visit www.raindancetech.com.

RainStorm is a trademark of RainDance Technologies, Inc.

1Scripps Genomic Medicine, Scripps Translational Science Institute, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California, U.S.A. 2Division of Biological
Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.
3RainDance Technologies, Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 4Present address:
Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.

RainDance Technologies
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