Genomic Nanosystems, LLC     ...the beginning of Digital PCR, bringing the life sciences and medicine into the age of digital genetics.

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About Genomic Nanosystems

Genomic Nanosystems, LLC (GNS) is a Digital PCR company, holding intellectual property that is central and enabling to almost every frontier of life science and medicine. With roots that go back to 1995, GNS was founded in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cytonix Corporation to develop technology, manufacture products, and provide licenses for digital PCR.  Since 2006, GNS has developed self-assembling digital arrays, digital emulsion materials, devices and methods, and generated almost 2000 claims set forth in pending patent applications.  Drawing on other Cytonix IP, nanofluidic and electrowetting concepts are being applied to carry out complex digital PCR assays. Collaborations have lead to high-resolution detection systems for Digital PCR, and licensing efforts have resulted in a potentially robust network of business partnerships.
What is DigitalPCR™

Digital PCR (also dPCR and clonal PCR) is about isolating, amplifying and detecting individual nucleic acids molecules, such as DNA, cDNA and RNA, in small volumes or surface regions, where amplified product from each zone is localized, producing a detectable concentration. As examples: microfluidic devices may carry out digital PCR in thousands of nano-sized chambers; emulsions may have millions of micelles, each acting as a miniature reaction chamber; and for nucleic acids spotted on a surface, each site becomes a discrete region of digital amplification. Unlike conventional PCR methods, such as real time PCR, the amplification efficiency need not be considered, as only “yes or no” answers are required. Furthermore, the detection method is technology independent, meaning that fluorescence, chemoluminescence, mass spectrometry or any means can be used.
Applications

Digital PCR provides “needle in the haystack” detection capability, exquisite accuracy, and almost unlimited dynamic range. In practical terms, digital PCR can detect foreign nucleic acids, cancer cells, pathogens or rare genetic events far earlier and at far lower levels than any other technology. For example, Digital PCR potentially offers detection of prenatal genetic characteristics soon after conception, potentially months earlier than other diagnostic methods.  Digital PCR is enabling to all second generation technology for rapid genomic sequencing. 
Intellectual Property

The methods for single nucleic acid molecule and nano or pico scale nucleic acid assays and the term and trademark DigitalPCR™ were developed and established by Cytonix in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health in 1995.  This includes any amplification carried out in nano or pico scale volumes.  The broad first U.S. Patent issued in 1997 (Patent No. 6,143,496) and the subsequently issued and pending divisional and continuation claims were exclusively licensed to Genomic Nanosystems in December 2006. 

News:

September 19, 2008 press release -- Genomic Nanosystems exclusively licenses Digital PCR to Sequenom, Inc. for non-invasive prenatal genetic tests and for mass spectrometry based genetic testing.

April 2007 -- In Nature Methods 4, 869 - 875 (2007) , Technology Editor Nathan Blow confirms: "Digital PCR, first described in 1997...."

December 12, 2006 -- Cytonix forms wholly owned subsidiary, Genomic Nanosystems, to develop Digital PCR technology, products and licenses.

November 20, 2006 -- After lengthy negotiations, Cytonix receives exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health for  Digital PCR and related intellectual property.

IIA agreement between Cytonix and NIH July 2001, allowing NIH's Institute for Technology Transfer to solely promote and license '496 methods in exchange for an even division of royalties.

Filed April 17, 1997,  U.S. Patent Number 6,143,496, issues November 7, 2000 to James F. Brown (Cytonix), Jonathan E. Silver and Kalinina; Olga V. Kalinina (both NIH).

October 1995, James Brown of Cytonix and Jonathan Silver of NIH began an informal collaboration to develop digital PCR (dPCR). The term DigitalPCR™  was coined November 1995.

DigitalPCR, cPCR, dPCR, dePCR, d-TAQ, NanoArray and PicoArray
are trademarks of Genomic Nanosystems, LLC, a subsidiary of the Cytonix Corporation.
Copyright 1995 -- 2008.  All rights reserved, Genomic Nanosystems, LLC.