Agilent Technologies Inc.,the world's premier measurement company,  has secured the significant patent for comparative genomic hybridization methods (CGH). Comparative genomic hybridization methods help researchers study genetics and cancer in both basic and clinical research.

The US patent (No. 8,232,055) has claims for measuring copy number changes in genomic DNA, covering both one-color and two-color assays using oligonucleotide probes and samples with high-sequence complexity, such as human genomic DNA samples.

Agilent's copy number method, commercially introduced in 2005, uses long oligonucleotide probes, enabling high specificity and sensitivity. For example, samples containing as low as eight per cent abnormal cells may be confidently analyzed with Agilent's copy number method.

The method was originally developed to improve upon older copy number assays that use long genomic fragments such as bacterial artificial chromosomes. (BACs often contain repetitive regions.) The method also improves upon other oligonucleotide array assays, which depend on sample preparation methods that remove significant portions of the genomic DNA content. Agilent's higher-resolution platform allows users to detect much smaller genomic aberrations throughout complex genomes.

"We are excited by the latest intellectual property supporting our market-leading CGH array," said Robert Schueren, Agilent vice president, Genomics. "This reflects Agilent's continued investment in and dedication to the cytogenetics clinical research space."

Agilent Technologies Inc. is a global leader in target enrichment for next-generation sequencing and genomic microarrays. The Agilent SureSelect and HaloPlex target enrichment systems enable researchers to easily choose which segments of a genome to sequence, avoiding the time and expense needed to sequence the entire genome. With its same day sample-to-sequencer workflow, the HaloPlex system is well suited for next-gen desktop sequencers, whereas the SureSelect system's ability to accurately capture whole exomes and whole methylomes in a single reaction pairs well with high-throughput sequencing systems. These are just two products arising from Agilent's manufacturing expertise in synthesizing complex custom mixtures of long oligonucleotides. Additional product lines built on this core technology include microarrays for genome-wide measurement of gene expression and for comparative genomic hybridization, as well as the SureFISH reagents, a highly specific and sensitive product line for oligonucleotide fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). In addition to oligonucleotide-based products, Agilent offers its Bioanalyzer microfluidic instruments to measure sample quality and a full set of reagents, hardware, methods and bioinformatics software for genomic experiments.

Agilent Technologies Inc. is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics and communications.