Life Technologies Corporation, a global biotechnology company, announced that four new European members of his Ion AmpliSeq Exome Certified Service Provider Programme have joined an organisation of the leading service providers include the sequencing and analysis of the human exome. Using the ion AmpliSeq Exome kit, the Ion Proton Sequencer and Ion Reporter software can two exome sequencing in a single run in just two days service.

So far, the cost of exome sequencing totaled by a service provider to $1,000 or more, it took six to eight weeks and there were up to three micrograms of DNA required. The exome sequencing using ion AmpliSeq Exome Certified Service Providers requires only 50 ng of DNA and the prices are absolutely competitive, so the exome sequencing for all researchers is affordable. The programme avoids the need to bring together samples in batches to make affordable only to the cost of exome sequencing.

The ion AmpliSeq Exome Certified Service Provider Programme is followed in the European institutions includes:La Plate-Forme et Séquençage Génomique, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; Uppsala Genome Center , Uppsala University, Sweden; CRIBI Genomics Group, University of Padua, Italy; Biocant, Technology Transfer Association, Portugal.

In addition to the fact that the ion AmpliSeq Exome kit is faster and cheaper, it offers the  most consistent in the industry by far cover the sequencing, ie, at 10-fold and 98 per cent of the bases 20 times 95 per cent of the bases for a single exome.

"AmpliSeq exome sequencing using the Ion Proton provides fast and accurate data for understanding the genetic characteristics of various diseases," says Dr Conceição Egas, head of Genoinseq, the Next Gen Sequencing Unit of Biocant. "The simple and fast throughput process of sample preparation, sequencing and data analysis fits perfectly with our mission to deliver high quality results with cost-effective solutions to our customers.”

Customers of the provider programme have the opportunity to receive their data on the Ion Reporter software within a few hours after the sequencing run in the form of a list of mutations, including changes in the copy number and the associated annotations that come from dozens of public databases. Service laboratories have the ability to access their data via the Internet and comprehensive filtering tools so that they can focus on the most important variations.

"With this great demand, and given the fact that leading institutions in North America to participate, the program will quickly expand globally," says Maneesh Jain, vice president of Marketing, Product and Programme Management from Life Technologies. "This model of service provider program makes it possible to process the samples of customers quickly and easily installed in research programs of all sizes."

The ion AmpliSeq Exome Certified Service Provider Programme is part of Ion Certified Service Provider Programme.

The ion AmpliSeq Exome kit and the Ion Proton Sequencer intended solely for use in research. Not intended for use in diagnostic procedures.

Life Technologies Corporation is a global biotechnology company dedicated to the goal of leading customers in the field of scientific research as well as in the areas of genetic analysis and applied sciences to provide them with the most innovative products and services.