Going a Step Further in Charting the Mechanisms of Disease

For the past decade, researchers have used microarrays to measure genes whose activity is excited or inhibited in disease. Now, a complementary method combining chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP) with microarrays, called ChIP-on-chip, is providing new insights into the interplay of regulatory proteins and the genome of living cells.

ChIP-on-chip can be used to identify sites on genomic DNA where proteins bind in order to turn gene activity on or off. This high-throughput method enables rapid exploration of regulatory interactions across the genome. With this technology, scientists will be able to go a step further in discovering and charting the protein-based mechanisms that control gene activity.

Enabling unique solutions for disease research

Agilent is expanding its microarray platform to utilize this approach. On January 5, 2005, we announced the acquisition of Computational Biology Corp., a biotech pioneer in ChIP-on-chip analysis. The acquisition gives us exclusive access to the critical patent and intellectual property for ChIP-on-chip analysis that will enable Agilent to provide unique microarray solutions for disease research as well as drug discovery and development.

Computational Biology, based in Cambridge, Mass., was founded by Drs. Richard Young and David Gifford of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and biotechnology executive Dr. Heidi Wyle. Young is a professor at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, a leader in the study of gene regulatory networks, and the primary inventor of ChIP-on-chip. Gifford, a professor in MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department, is an expert in computational biology and in the development of software algorithms for biological analysis. Both will remain professors at MIT while consulting with Agilent to support the ongoing development of commercial solutions for ChIP-on-chip analysis.

Integrating complementary results

In creating those solutions, Agilent will develop informatics software for ChIP-on-chip analysis with a focus on its longer term goal of creating systems biology software that might allow integration of ChIP-on-chip data with other microarray-based genomic research results. Agilent's recent acquisition of Silicon Genetics will facilitate the development, in collaboration with Gifford, of new software for ChIP-on-chip and complex genomic analyses.

Today, our integrated family of informatics solutions supports the complete lifecycle of analytical information, from data acquisition to knowledge management and retention. Our software for genomics research includes the GeneSpring expression analysis tools, Varia genotyping analysis application and Signet enterprise platform from Silicon Genetics; the Rosetta Resolver^® and Luminator gene expression data analysis systems; and the Synapsia informatics workbench for data integration and project tracking.

For more information

According to Young, only Agilent's microarray solutions provided the specificity and selectivity necessary to turn their analytical method into a powerful research tool for the scientific community. For additional information about these and other Agilent life sciences products and resources, please visit the Life Sciences/Chemical Analysis main page.

Rosetta Resolver is a U.S. trademark of Rosetta Inpharmatics.