SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO--The Broad Institute and Fluidigm Corp. have announced thelaunch of a new research center focused on accelerating the development ofresearch in mammalian single-cell genomics. The Single-Cell Genomics Center isexpected to become a focal point for collaboration amongst single-cell genomicsresearchers, and will be located in Cambridge, Mass., at the Broad Institute.It will feature a complete suite of Fluidigm single-cell tools, protocols andtechnologies, including the BioMark HD System.
"The cell is the fundamental unit of life, and throughgreater understanding of it, researchers can make breakthroughs in large andimportant fields, such as cancer diagnosis and therapy, stem cell biology,vaccine development, and even the mounting battle against drug-resistantbacteria. We expect this center to inspire, enable and accelerate efforts inthe emerging field of single-cell research," Gajus Worthington, president andChief Executive Officer of Fluidigm, said in a press release.
Fluidigm's technology makes single-cell studies—which havehistorically lacked standardized, easy-to-use research methods—easier byconverting cellular heterogeneity into a source of information. It offers themeans necessary to analyze single cells, including processing of a large numberof cells, interrogation of a large number of gene targets and microfluidics andsensitivity at a nanoscale level.
"With the Single-Cell Genomics Center, we will enableresearchers to access the exciting new world of single-cell genomics, catalyzediscoveries and advance our understanding of this important area of biology,"Wendy Winckler, Ph.D., director of the Genetic Analysis Platform at the BroadInstitute, said in a press release.
Fluidigm and the Broad Institute intend the Single-CellGenomics Center to develop novel single-cell, microfluidic approaches forgene-expression profiling, RNA/DNA sequencing and epigenetic analysis. Theultimate goal is to enhance the accessibility of single-cell research for thegreater scientific community, developing new workflows, bioinformatics tools,reagents and data sets.
The Center is the result of multiple collaborations between the two companies across several genomic platforms.
"Our intent is to establish the Center as a focal point toenhance collaboration and accelerate the science, applications, methods anddiscoveries in single-cell genomics research," Ken Livak, Ph.D., FluidigmSenior Scientific Fellow, said in a press release. Livak will act as theAlliance Manager at the Broad Institute and will oversee research projectsbetween the Center and project partners. "Our efforts with the Broad Institutein forming a center that specifically focuses on single-cell research representa big step forward for this emerging area of biological research."
The Center is currently having Fluidigm equipment installed,and the first project proposals are being solicited from Broad's community ofresearchers. The Center is expected to be fully operational this quarter.
SOURCE: Fluidigm press release
