454 Enters Partnership for Sequencing Semiconductor

By Bio-IT World Staff

November 4, 2010 | DNA Electronics and 454 Life Sciences have entered a partnership to develop a low-cost, high-throughput, long read, high density DNA sequencing system. The technology is expected to build on 454's current pyrosequencing-based platform.

DNA Electronics, based in London, is a semiconductor technology company that has been focusing on real-time DNA and RNA analysis by sensitive detection of nucleotide incorporation during sequencing. The partnership will join DNA Electronics’ unique knowledge of semiconductor design and expertise in pH-mediated detection of nucleotide insertions with 454 Life Sciences’ long read sequencing chemistry to produce a seamless evolution from optical detection to low-cost, highly scalable electrochemical detection.

The pH change is generated when two complementary nucleotides bind together and protons are released in the process which switches on an ion sensitive semiconductor field effect transistor (ISFET), allowing real-time DNA sequencing and analysis. This ground breaking electronic DNA detection technology overcomes the limitations of traditional optical detection technologies which depends on labels and has exacting manufacturing demands. DNA Electronics provides “Fabless” CMOS semiconductor core technology solutions which are label free and can be fabricated in any microchip foundry in the world and developed into multiple platforms.

“We have always believed that the marriage between mature standard CMOS semiconductor technology, ubiquitous in the consumer electronics world, and the molecular life science industry will eventually transform research machines into affordable diagnostics tools,” said Professor Christopher Toumazou, DNA Electronics chairman and CEO in a press release.

Christopher McLeod, president and CEO of 454 said, “We’re pleased to work together with DNA Electronics, the inventors of ISFET DNA sequencing technology, to bring the benefits of semiconductors to the field of sequencing. This collaboration nicely combines our expertise in long read sequencing chemistry with DNA Electronics’ understanding of ISFET technology and semiconductor design.”

Financial details were not disclosed.