Genomics - Overview

Landmark discovery efforts such as the Human Genome, Cancer Genome Atlas, ENCODE, and HapMap projects have provided scientists with powerful tools for gaining deeper understanding of the role genes and genomes play in health and disease.  Genome-based research offers the promise of more effective diagnostic tools, greater understanding of an individual’s healthcare needs based on their genomic make-up, and targeted treatments for diseases that affect a vast majority of the population such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  The role of genomics in health care is increasingly driven by the need for integrated approaches to disease prevention, earlier diagnosis and overall response to therapy – the new era of personalized medicine. 

An array of high-throughput tools and technologies dedicated to genomics research are used to characterize the biological function of genes and genomes.  For example, PCR and DNA sequencing are frequently used for genotyping genetic variants associated with the development or progression of a disease, while next-generation sequencing platforms have led to dramatic increases in both de novo and resequencing data generation.  The study of gene expression is enabled through microarrays and qRT-PCR techniques that measure the abundance of RNA levels related to specific gene transcription processes, as well as other RNA-mediated processes.  Genomic research has also fueled the need for biobanking, which makes the molecular material of thousands of individuals available for studies related to the genetic implications of disease susceptibility - ultimately leading to increasingly earlier detection of disease through a patient’s DNA or RNA in the field of molecular diagnostics.

Caliper is a leading provider of innovative liquid handling and microfluidic systems and has broad expertise in automating the processes involved in these core areas of genomics research including:  extraction and purification, PCR reaction setup, automation of RT-PCR as well as the separation and direct detection of DNA and RNA.