Orchid BioSciences Inc has launched its 96-well genotyping kit for its high throughput genotyping customers and collaborators. This kit incorporates Orchid's proprietary SNP-IT genotyping technology in a standard 96-well plate format that can be read visually or using the standard readers found in most life sciences laboratories. Through a recent agreement, Invitrogen Corporation is the exclusive provider of 96-well SNP genotyping kits using Orchid's technology to the general worldwide research market.

"Our new 96-well genotyping product provides Orchid's high throughput customers and collaborators with a simple, easy-to-use kit to support their high throughput genotyping studies, as well as to design new assays and develop novel applications for SNP-IT in collaboration with Orchid," said Jack T. Ball, Jr., senior vice president and general manager of Orchid's Life Sciences Group. "Orchid's technology in the 96-well kit format is another illustration of how SNP-IT's versatility enables it to be commercialized on a variety of platforms, addressing the diverse needs of researchers from the solo bench scientist analyzing a few SNPs up through labs conducting whole chromosome and whole genome studies."

In a related development last week, Orchid and Invitrogen announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Invitrogen has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to offer genotyping products to the general research market using Orchid's SNP scoring technology in a 96-well format.

Dr. Julie Johnson, an Orchid collaborator and beta site user of the 96-well genotyping kit, who is director of the Center for Pharmacogenomics at the University of Florida, commented, "The scientists in my lab have become great fans of Orchid's 96-well genotyping kit. It is fast and easy to use, yet its cost is comparable to traditional methods. In particular, Orchid's Autoprimer.com web site makes it much easier for researchers to do genotyping without having a molecular biologist close by. Orchid's SNP scoring technology in a 96-well kit format could be a tremendous help to all the academic researchers out there who do not have access to high throughput genotyping services, but who would like to add a pharmacogenomics dimension to their existing research."

For customers who seek to conduct higher throughput SNP studies, Orchid markets SNPware 96B reagent kits for use with its SNPstream MT system. SNPstream MT includes the Luminex LabMAP bead-based platform and Orchid reagents and software developed for optimal integrated performance, enabling researchers to generate thousands of SNP genotypes per day. Current owners of Luminex LabMAP systems can purchase SNPware 96B reagent kits and an Accessory Kit from Orchid that enables them to conduct high quality SNP genotyping studies. Orchid also provides genotyping services on a fee-for-service basis to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agricultural companies, using its high throughput SNPstream 25K system and its ultra high throughput, high density SNPcode platform that is well-suited to whole chromosome and genome-wide studies.

Orchid intends to add its ultra high throughput SNPstream UHT system that uses Orchid's next generation SNP-IT tag array technology to its genotyping service facilities, and it will offer the SNPstream UHT as a product to high volume users later in 2002.