30-Oct-2008
Collaborator Release

RainDance Technologies Delivers RDT 1000, Sequence Enrichment Solution to JCVI

LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., October 30, 2008 — RainDance Technologies, Inc., a provider of innovative droplet-based microfluidic solutions for human health and disease research, today announced that the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not for profit genomic research organization located in Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA, will become an early access partner for its new RDT 1000 instrument and Sequence Enrichment application.

Under the Early Access Partner program, RainDance delivers its RDT 1000 and expert training to selected premier organizations in genomic research.  RainDance will also provide customized PCR primer libraries designed to selectively amplify loci of interest for research initiatives at JCVI.  "The program provides an opportunity for some of the world's leading scientists in genomic research to become experienced with our technology prior to our commercial launch," said Chris McNary, President and Chief Executive Officer of RainDance Technologies.

The RDT 1000 and Sequence Enrichment application utilizes RainDance's breakthrough RainStorm™ droplet-based technology platform. The simplicity, speed, and minute volume of the technology are designed to maximize the efficiency of JCVI's next-generation DNA sequencing workflow. The RDT 1000 generates picoliter volume PCR reactions at the rate of 10 million discrete reactions per hour. The high-speed sample processing is further enhanced by the fact that the Sequence Enrchment application utilizes a library of PCR primers in droplets enabling the amplification of hundreds to thousands of genomic loci in a single tube. The RainStorm format avoids limitations of traditional multiplex hybridization and amplification technologies. The RainDance solution minimizes process-induced bias or error and requires only a few micrograms of genomic DNA.

JCVI scientists "will incorporate the RainStorm application into the various large-scale targeted sequencing studies  as part of our on-going research programs in human genomic medicine," said Robert L. Strausberg, Ph.D., Deputy Director and Group Leader, Genomic Medicine, JCVI.

"We are looking forward to working closely with JCVI as they integrate our technology to support their breakthrough research," McNary said. "We're also anxiously anticipating the results of the performance of our technology in their hands". It is our expectation their experience will further reinforce the RainStorm technology platform's benefits in human health and disease research," he said.

"This expert experience will be invaluable as we prepare for our commercial launch in the first quarter of 2009," McNary added.

About the J. Craig Venter Institute

The JCVI is a not-for-profit research institute in Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA dedicated to the advancement of the science of genomics; the understanding of its implications for society; and communication of those results to the scientific community, the public, and policymakers. Founded by J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., the JCVI is home to approximately 400 scientists and staff with expertise in human and evolutionary biology, genetics, bioinformatics/informatics, information technology, high-throughput DNA sequencing, genomic and environmental policy research, and public education in science and science policy. The legacy organizations of the JCVI are: The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), The Center for the Advancement of Genomics (TCAG), the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), the Joint Technology Center (JTC), and the J. Craig Venter Science Foundation. The JCVI is a 501 (c) (3) organization. For additional information, please visit http://www.JCVI.org.

About RainDance Technologies, Inc.

RainDance Technologies Inc. is a provider of innovative droplet-based microfluidic solutions for 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 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 will focus on the targeted resequencing of the human genome — one of the fastest-growing segments of the $1 billion DNA sequencing market. This application will enable the high-resolution analysis of genetic variation between individuals and populations at a level unmatched by current methodology.

RainDance was founded in 2004 by scientists from Harvard University; the Medical Research Centre in Cambridge, England and the ESPCI in Paris.

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