The Affymetrix GeneChip Scanner 3000 was designed to incorporate future technological advancements as GeneChip technology continues to advance. When configured as part of a MegAllele System, the GeneChip Scanner 3000 7G is calibrated for the additional scanning features to support the ParAllele Molecular Inversion Probe (MIP) Technology highly multiplexed assay for Custom Genotyping.
When the GeneChip Scanner 3000 7G is used in conjunction with the new AutoLoader, it provides walk-away freedom for scanning arrays. Due to its small footprint, the GeneChip Scanner 3000 7G fits onto a benchtop environment.
As it uses a solid-state laser, there is no need for an external laser power supply or a special cooling system under the bench.
The GeneChip Scanner (GCS) 3000 7G features a scanning resolution that has been extended down to submicron pixelation, enabling scanning of next-generation high-density GeneChip microarrays.
With the ability to scan smaller features, ranging in size from 2.5 um to 0.51um, the GCS 3000 7G supports the latest high-density GeneChip microarrays for tiling, all-exon and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping research.
In addition, the scanner has been equipped with a new dual processor workstation and software updates for processing and analysing the data generated per experiment.
Other features of the scanner include an improved autofocus algorithm for scanning standard-sized 49-format microarrays 30 per cent faster than the original GCS 3000, a patented scanning system called the Flying Objective, which provides image uniformity and accuracy and a simple, high-numerical aperture optical architecture provides consistent excitation and emission paths over the entire scan field.
The completion of the human genome sequence has led to a rapid increase in genetic information. The invention of DNA microarrays, which allow for the parallel measurement of thousands of genes on the level of mRNA, has enabled scientists to take a more global view of biological systems.
Protein microarrays have a big potential to increase the throughput of proteomic research. Microarrays of antibodies can simultaneously measure the concentration of a multitude of target proteins in a very short period of time.
The ability of protein microarrays to increase the quantity of data points in small biological samples on the protein level will have a major impact on basic biological research as well as on the discovery of new drug targets and diagnostic markers.
"The GeneChip Scanner 3000 7G combines design improvements with high-resolution scanning to improve efficiency in genetic analysis for gene expression and DNA analysis applications," said Chip Leveille, vice president of product technologies group, Affymetrix.
"We designed the original GCS 3000 to be forward-compatible, requiring only a simple upgrade to support the next-generation of high-density microarrays that develop as GeneChip technology advances," he added.
The new scanner is also included as part of the GCS 3000 MegAllele System. Available as both a complete system and an upgrade to existing systems, the GCS 3000 MegAllele System features a four-colour scanning capability that supports the highly multiplexed assay technology that was co-developed by Affymetrix and ParAllele BioScience.