PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2004--Agilent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that it has sold more than
one million LabChip(R) chips -- small, analytical devices used with
the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer to perform fast, automated analysis of
DNA, RNA, proteins and cells. These chips are based on lab-on-a-chip
technology, which relies on the principles of microfluidics to
manipulate tiny amounts of liquid within a miniaturized system.
"Scientists recognize the benefits of lab-on-a-chip technology for
improving speed, data quality and ease of use," said Tony Owen, liquid
phase analysis platform marketing manager for Agilent's Pharmaceutical
Analysis business. "They are making extensive use of our technology in
their peer-reviewed research, as seen in the more than 1,000 citations
for the bioanalyzer in scientific literature."
In collaboration with Caliper Life Sciences, Inc., Agilent
introduced the industry's first commercial lab-on-a-chip system, the
Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer, in 1999. With more than 2,500 sold, the
bioanalyzer has become a valuable tool for genomics, proteomics,
biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing, food safety and
homeland security. In genomics, the bioanalyzer has become an
industry-standard platform for RNA quality assessment in gene
expression, polymerase chain reaction and RNA interference
experiments.
Lab-on-a-chip technology offers several advantages over gel
electrophoresis, one of the oldest and most widely used techniques in
the life sciences. In gel electrophoresis, nucleic acids or proteins
are manually loaded into a gel matrix that separates molecules by
size, charge and/or shape when an electric field is applied.
The bioanalyzer integrates and automates this process, resulting
in smaller sample use, faster analyses and more accurate and
reproducible results. For some protein analyses, the bioanalyzer can
reduce total turnaround time 20-fold compared with gel
electrophoresis. In addition, the bioanalyzer can be modified for
regulatory-compliant use in pharmaceutical environments.
To standardize RNA quality measurement using the bioanalyzer,
Agilent introduced a beta version of its RNA integrity number (RIN)
software earlier this year. RIN is the first tool for objectively
grading and communicating the quality of RNA used in experiments. It
is designed to improve the reproducibility and comparison of RNA-based
research data and to facilitate the submission of data for review by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Later this year, the company expects to release the first fully
automated, high-throughput lab-on-a-chip system, which will enable
unattended analysis of thousands of DNA or protein samples per day.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global technology leader
in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis.
The company's 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110
countries. Agilent had net revenue of $6.1 billion in fiscal year
2003. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at
www.agilent.com.
LabChip is a registered trademark of Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.,
in the U.S. and other countries.
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SOURCE: Agilent Technologies Inc.