Affymetrix (www.affymetrix.com) has initiated the European Cytogenetic Research Initiative, a collaboration between Affymetrix, the University of Nijmegen in The Netherlands, the University of Tuebingen in Germany, and the NHS Regional Genetics Laboratory in Birmingham, U.K. The collaborators are using Affymetrix’ microarray technology to identify the specific causative mutations in mentally retarded children.
The Affymetrix microarray platform provides a higher-resolution view of the genome than traditional cytogenetic solutions, enabling researchers to better identify causative mutations, copy number variants, and loss of heterozygosity information, states Marcus Hausch, Ph.D., senior marketing manager at Affymetrix.