Product Launch
11 August 2003 - 9:00AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:5133O
Genetix Group PLC
11 August 2003
Genetix launches world's first commercial mammalian cell colony picker
Boston, USA, 11 August 2003 - Genetix Group plc (LSE: GTX), the genomics and
proteomics technology group, today announces the launch of a new instrument for
mammalian cell colony picking, the ClonePix, at the Drug Discovery Technology
conference in Boston, USA.
The ClonePix utilizes Genetix's core skills in imaging, picking and placing and
expands the Company's product range into the area of cell biology. Furthermore,
it moves Genetix's products up the drug development value chain into
biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing.
The ClonePix will have applications in several aspects of biopharmaceutical
production and has been developed by Genetix in direct response to the needs of
its customers. One of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies based in
the US has already purchased the machine for its own research. The ClonePix is
capable of automatically imaging, recognizing and picking mammalian cell
colonies from either semi-solid media or monolayers growing on cell culture
dishes. This is the first step in the production and selection of monoclonal
antibodies and other cells used in the production of biopharmaceuticals.
Monoclonal antibody production is an increasingly important area of focus for
biotechnology companies. Around 25% of biopharmaceutical drugs currently in
Phase II trials are based on monoclonal antibodies. In order to make a
monoclonal antibody, thousands of potential antibody-producing clones have to be
screened, a process which until now has been carried out manually, examining
culture dishes by eye and picking individual cell colonies using a pipette.
Genetix's equipment will enable a lab to screen over 5,000 colonies per week
compared with 1,000 using conventional methods.
The ClonePix can also be used to automate the selection of transfected cells
(cells containing modified genes for the production of proteins), and cell lines
for pharmaceutical screening.
Future developments are likely to include adapting the instrument to measure the
levels of biopharmaceutical produced by colonies before picking and modifying
the platform to pick stem cells.
Julian Burke PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Genetix, commented:
"The ClonePix will have a major impact in the area of mammalian cell colony
picking. We expect it to be comparable to the revolution in throughput that
occurred when automated machines replaced toothpicks in picking bacterial
colonies for DNA sequencing. The ClonePix will also allow data tracking and
improve the accuracy of clone management and development. This machine responds
directly to the needs of our customers. We are highly encouraged that one of the
world's leading biopharmaceutical companies has chosen to buy the first
ClonePix, even before its official launch."
Enquiries:
Genetix Group plc Tel: 01425 624600
Julian F Burke PhD, CSO
Financial Dynamics Tel: 020 7831 3113
Sarah MacLeod / Francetta Carr
About Genetix
Genetix Group plc is based in New Milton, Hampshire, UK. It develops,
manufactures and markets high-throughput equipment and related items used for
research into human, and plant genomics, proteomics and cell biology. It
currently supplies equipment to more than 150 customers worldwide in the
pharmaceutical, agricultural and food industries including GlaxoSmithKline,
AstraZeneca, Novartis, Celera Genomics, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and the Max
Planck Institutes. In addition, the Group has made a significant contribution
to the Human Genome Project by supplying equipment to seven of the leading eight
laboratories involved in the consortia. Genetix acquired the Genpak group in
October 2000 before floating successfully on the London Stock Exchange in
November 2000.
A photograph and specification sheet are also available for this product.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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