Microarray Solutions newsletter #2

Microarray Solutions

SCHOTT North America Inc.5530 Shepherdsville RoadLouisville, KY 40228USAPhone: +1- 502-657-4417Fax: +1- 502-966-4976E-Mail: [email protected]/nexterion

Microarray SolutionsThe Nexterion® Newsletter Edition # 2 / September 2006

ARRAY BASED COMPARATIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION – CURRENTLY THE HOTTEST TOPIC

IN MICROARRAYING“Microarray Solutions” reports on the increasing popularity of array-CGH in the microarray

community, and highlights how some of the most important facilities in North America are using Nexterion® slides for this application.

…read more on pages 4 and 5

Also featured this month...

INTERVIEW WITH JAMI LOMAXNew Sales Manager for East Coast North America & Technical Support Specialist for North America

NEW NEXTERION® LOW EVAPORATION BUFFERHow the Nexterion® LEB Kit can solve the problem of source plate evapora-tion during extended print runs

TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN FOCUSHow SCHOTT technical support assisted The Institute for Genomic Research in the use of the LEB Kit with Nexterion® Slide E

LATEST NEWS FROM SCHOTTIncluding ISO 9001 certification for the SCHOTT Microarray Solutions unit, new surface chemistries for the HiSens range of Slides, and the Nexterion®

Web shop

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Microarray Solutions page 2

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the second edition of “Microarray Solutions”, the newsletter from SCHOTT. The response from readers around the world to the first edition of the newsletter was extremely positive, and I would like to thank all readers who provided us with feedback.

We are pleased to welcome a new member to the SCHOTT Microarray Solutions team in the U.S., Jami Lomax (see interview on Page 3). Jami joined our company in June and will be the Sales Manager covering the Eastern region of North America. She will also assume the role of Technical Support Specialist for North America. Jami will no doubt be in contact with our North American customers very soon, and she will be supported in her Technical Support role by Dr. Rajendra Redkar from our R&D site in Duryea, PA. Both Jami and Raj will continue to provide the first class technical support that SCHOTT is known for in the microarray community. They will also both feature prominently alongside our R&D Director, Dr. Ruediger Dietrich, in the popular Techni-cal Support in Focus section of the newsletter (see Page 7).

In Asia, SCHOTT has established an extensive distribution network to offer Nexterion®

microarray products into this rapidly growing market. SCHOTT already had a strong relationship with several key microarray facilities in Asia, but in recent months we have received an increasing number of enquiries from the Far East. To meet these requests, SCHOTT will be making full use of its international network of sales offices, as well as working in partnership with experienced third party companies who distribute life sci-ence products in the Far East. Further details on the new sales infrastructure for SCHOTT in Asia will be announced very soon.

This edition of the “Microarray Solutions” features an article on Array CGH, an increas-ingly popular application. The article gives an overview of this exciting application from our perspective, and that of some of our customers. It also demonstrates how a variety of surface chemistries offered by SCHOTT Microarray Solutions have been success-fully utilized for Array CGH. We also include a very interesting article on the new Nex-terion® Low Evaporation Buffer (LEB) kit that was recently launched by SCHOTT. The feedback we have had so far on this product from customers has been excellent, and our article on TIGR is a prime example of how the LEB Kit can be used to resolve a very common problem encountered by microarray users.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Microarray Solutions, and thank you for choosing SCHOTT as your preferred microarray substrate supplier.

Regards,Lutz Wehmeier

General Manager Talk

Dr. Lutz WehmeierGeneral Manager

Nexterion – Microarray Solutions


MS: How long have you worked for SCHOTT? And where did you work prior to SCHOTT?JL: I joined SCHOTT as Sales and Support Manager in early June this year. Prior to SCHOTT I worked with Spectrumedix LLC as an account manager and applications support consultant. I was previously a research technician for SCHOTT Nexterion R&D in Duryea, PA where I was involved in the development of the most of the current slides in our product portfolio.MS: What key skills are required to do your job?JL: I think one of the key skills necessary to be a sales manager and technical support consultant is organization, patience, and time management! Most importantly, how-ever, is the ability to quickly identify the needs of customers and be able to communi-cate with them clearly and concisely.MS: What do you do in technical support?JL: As technical support manager for North America, I help to troubleshoot any prob-lems customers have working with our products and also offer advice and protocol recommendations to customers prior to their slide evaluations. This can be done via e-mail or over the phone, but I am also able to go on-site to help work through protocols and provide tips on how to get the most from Nexterion® products. In my previous role working in R&D at SCHOTT, I played a key part in the development of several of the Nexterion® products, including protocol optimization, so I feel very comfortable offering advice to customers based on first-hand experience with the products.MS: Can you describe your typical work day?JL: The nice thing about this job is that every day offers new challenges and no two days are ever the same! On the sales side, I spend a lot of time travelling to visit cus-tomers throughout my territory, talking to new potential customers and servicing exist-ing customers. For technical support, a question from customers can obviously arrive at any time and usually requires an immediate response, usually involving a telephone conversation with the customer. MS: How do you respond to customer queries?JL: My response to customer queries usually depends on the type of customer and the nature of the problem. The more basic questions can easily be addressed by either e-mail or telephone. Other queries require a more detailed response. For example, we usually offer customers the opportunity to discuss the SCHOTT products and protocols in detail prior to their slide evaluation via a conference call. Or for customers who are experiencing significant problems getting a product to work for them, I may even spend some time in the lab with them to offer the best advice possible.MS: What are the most important aspects of technical support?JL: In my opinion, and fortunately that of SCHOTT, technical support is one of the most valuable things a company can offer, particularly with regards to microarrays where there are so many variables that can ultimately have an effect on results. We pride ourselves on responding to customer problems as quickly as possible to minimize down time. SCHOTT has developed an excellent reputation for providing first-class customer support, and I will strive to maintain this.MS: What part of the job do you find most satisfying?JL: I think the most satisfying aspect is undoubtedly resolving a particularly problem-atic customer query and feeling the sense of relief and gratitude from the customer. Many people I deal with are under extreme pressure to deliver results and being able to support them and contribute in some way to their success is a nice aspect of the job, particularly when you see how passionate and dedicated they are to their research.MS: What's special about Nexterion®'s technical support?JL: When interviewed for the position at SCHOTT, one of the major things that struck me was SCHOTT’s commitment to technical support. Dr. Lutz Wehmeier, the General Manager, was adamant that one of SCHOTT’s key advantages over competitors was our comprehensive technical support services, and he felt that this, coupled with the product quality, was a significant reason for SCHOTT making such a big impact in the microarray substrate market in such a short time. The knowledge base and experience within SCHOTT is a big bonus. We have staff who have over eight years experience of working with the Nexterion® slide coatings and this allows us to produce very high quality slides as well as quickly troubleshoot customer problems. Our technical support team is also structured in such a way that we can offer an immediate response to cus-tomers wherever they are in the world.

SCHOTT Profile – Jami Lomax East Coast Sales Manager and Technical Support North America

“Microarray Solutions” catches up with the most recent addition to the SCHOTT Microarray Solu-tions team.

Technical Support contacts:

North AmericaContact: Jami LomaxE-mail: [email protected]

Europe, Asia, Rest of the WorldContact: Dr. Ruediger DietrichE-mail: [email protected]


• Insert data / images

Array-CGH Background

Technological advances in the field of genomics have resulted in the sequencing of genomes from several organisms, including the human genome. The availability of genomic data has made it possible to screen genetic abnormalities on the genome-wide scale. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) is a conventional molecular cytogenetic method capable of detecting deletions, additions and amplification of DNA copy numbers1. However, one of the limitations of this method is lower sensitivity or spatial resolution in detecting single copy deletion. Array-CGH, which is based on microarray technology, dramatically increases the resolution and dynamic range for detection of deletions and amplification. For instance, copy number changes at the level of 5-10 kilobases of DNA sequences can be detected using array-CGH as against 10 megabases using conventional CGH. In addition, array-CGH allows direct mapping of genetic aberrations on the chromosomes, does not require cell culture or metaphase chromosome, and improves throughput of testing. As the array format lends itself to automation, array-based CGH technology should soon be practical for diagnosis of cancer or genetic diseases in the clinical setting.

Array-CGH consists of an orderly arrangement of human DNA probes derived from coding and non-coding regions on coated glass substrate2,3,4. The DNA can be pre-pared from BACs (Bacterial artificial chromosomes) amplified by PCR from cDNA li-braries or specific genomic sequences5. The probes are printed robotically on an ami-nosilane or other coated microarray slide2. Alternatively, Approaches such as genomic representation arrays6, oligonucleotide arrays7 and specific target arrays8 have been also successfully used. For typical array CGH analysis DNA from a test and normal reference sample are labelled with different fluorophores and co-hybridized to the ar-ray9. After hybridization the ratio of fluorescence intensity of test to reference DNA sample (log2 ratios) is calculated to measure the copy number changes. Samples that do not show any genetic aberrations will indicate a constant ratio across the genome area. Therefore, array-CGH offers a flexible platform for studying genetic abnormalities at genome wide level, which can be performed in a high throughput, and cost-effective way.

Array-CGH in Clinical Applications

Array-CGH has been used as a research tool that can address many human health problems that involves genetic abnormalities including carcinomas and specific condi-tions such as Down Syndrome. Recently, several commercial companies are convert-ing this research tool into a diagnostic product by offering array-CGH products and services for clinical laboratories. These companies are currently seeking clarification of regulatory requirements for array-CGH and are in process of getting FDA approval for clinical applications.

In order to meet FDA regulations, data generated from array-CGH assays needs to meet certain criteria and this is the challenge, for example, facing many companies looking to offer arrays to the clinical diagnostics community. The data should show low levels of variability among the replicates, samples with identical copy numbers, and non-specific background. Therefore the protocol for producing array-CGH assays needs to be carefully optimized. Another key consideration in this process is the quality of coated microarray slide, as this is critical for optimal immobilization of the probes and their accessibility to the target for hybridization, as well as for obtaining a low hy-bridization background. The coated glass substrate not only influences these factors, but is also important in determining whether users can consistently generate repro-ducible results day in and day out. SCHOTT is one of the few slide manufacturers able to offer the high level of lot to lot reproducibility required for diagnostic type applica-tions.

Data was kindly provided by Dr. Norma Nowak, Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Customer Application Focus – Comparative Genomic Hybridization using SCHOTT Nexterion® Coated Slides

Fig. 1 Results from Combimatrix Molecular Diagnostics of an Array-CGH experiment with Nexterion®

HiSens A slides from SCHOTT. CMDX intends to offer these arrays for clinical diagnostic applications.

Fig. 2 High density human BAC 20K array printed on Schott Nexterion® A+ slides


Nexterion® Slide A and Slide A+ for array-CGH Applications

The most popular slide surface chemistry for array-CGH has traditionally been Ami-nosilane, with Nexterion® Slide A and Slide A+ having performed exceptionally well for this type of application at numerous facilities throughout the world. The Microarray and Genomics Facility at Roswell Park Cancer Research Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, NY is one of SCHOTT’s oldest North American customers, having successfully used both Slide A and Slide A+ for an array-CGH application with a slightly modified version of the recommended SCHOTT protocols. Currently they use Nexterion® Slide A+ slides to print their high-density, and Nexterion® Slide A to print their lower density (<15k) BAC arrays. The arrayed products have excellent morphology and retention on both slide surfaces. Slide A+ allows RPCI to print over 70,000 features per slide thanks to the hydrophobic nature of the surface chemistry. SCHOTT’s state-of-the-art slide produc-tion facility and experienced production team in Germany, manufacture slides with a very high lot-to-lot consistency, helping to minimise variance between print runs, and giving the RPCI facility the confidence to use these slides for research projects lasting several years.

The protocol followed by Roswell is relatively simple, with minimal post-print process-ing required for either of the Nexterion® Aminosilane slide surfaces after spotting BAC printing solutions. In the RPCI facility, the arrayed slides are stored in a desiccated environment after printing and UV cross linked immediately prior to hybridization. Suc-cinic anhydride blocking, boiling and/or SDS washes did not improve the performance of the slides, but in fact added background and other reagent related artefacts that can be detected after scanning. The success achieved in the RPCI facility using SCHOTT Nexterion® slides has led to the decision to utilize SCHOTT Nexterion® slides exclu-sively to manufacture BAC arrays for Empire Genomics, a spin-off company from RPCI recently launched by Dr. Norma Nowak. Dr. Nowak commented, “We are successfully using SCHOTT Nexterion® slides in our BAC aCGH services division of Empire Ge-nomics. This product enables us to analyze thousands of test DNAs and to reliably compare their copy number status to control samples. When it comes to printing thou-sands of BAC elements at high density over thousands of slides, Nexterion® Slide A+ from SCHOTT is clearly the best slide out there.” (Fig. 3)

Other SCHOTT slides successfully used for array-CGH

In North America., SCHOTT has been receiving an increasing number of enquiries from the microarray community for Nexterion® coated substrates for array CGH. Com-bimatrix Molecular Diagnostics (Nexterion® Slide A) (Fig. 1), UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center (Slide A, A+ and E) and BC Cancer Agency (Slide AL) have all been successful in using Nexterion® substrates for array CGH with BAC clones. Stanford University has produced arrays for CGH using Invitrogen’s HEEBO (Human Exonic Evidence Based Oligonucleotide) set on Nexterion® Slide E that they claim are compa-rable or superior to the array CGH equivalent currently offered by commercial vendors In Europe; the microarray core facility at UMCG Groningen has been successfully working with Nexterion® Slide E for aCGH.

The examples show that four of the Nexterion® slide surfaces have been successfully used in array CGH. SCHOTT has worked with these facilities to produce a fully opti-mized protocol specifically for the array-CGH application on the Nexterion® coatedslides. Please contact us if you would like further information ([email protected]).

1. Kallioniemi A. et al. (1992) Science 258:818-821.2. Solinas-Toldo S. et al. (1997) Genes Chromosomes Cancer 20:399-407.3. Pinkel D. et al. (1998). Nat Genet. 20:207-211.4. Snijders A. M. et al. (2001) Nat Genet. 29:263-264.5. Pollack J. R. (1999) Nat Genetics 12:41-46.6. Lucito R. et al. (2000) Genome Res. 10:1726-1736.7. Lucito R. et al. (2003) Genome Res. 13:2291-2305.8. Takeo S. et al. (2001) Cancel Genet Cytogenet. 130:127-132.9. Cowell JK, Nowak NJ. (2003) Adv Cancer Res 91-125.

Figure 1: High density human BAC array printed on Schott Nexterion type A+ slides.

The figure represents an overlay pseudo-color image of a RPCI-11 BAC microar-ray, co-hybridized with fluorescently labeled DNA derived from a melanoma sample (Cy5™) and a pooled human reference control (Cy3™). LM-PCR representations of 19,000 BAC DNAs were spotted in duplicate on Nexterion® Slide A+ using a BioRobotics MicroGrid II TAS arrayer and MicroSpot 10K split pins (Genomic Solutions, Inc. Ann Arbor, MI) at 150 µm spacing. Competitive hybridi-zation of the melanoma sample with the reference control identifies copy number amplifications (red spots) and deletions (green spots).

Chr 5

Chr 9

Chr 17

Chr 5 Chr 9 Chr 17

Fig. 3: Representative human 19K BAC aCGH profile of melanoma tumor demonstrating detection of DNA seg-ment copy number changes. Average log2 ratios (y-axis) were plotted for all clones based on chromosomal posi-tion (x-axis) with the blue bar demar-cating the chromosomes (top plot) and centromeres (bottom plots). Horizontal red lines indicate the log2 ratio for each segment as segmented by Circu-lar Binary Segmentation (CBS).

Data was kindly provided by Dr. Norma Nowak, Roswell Park Cancer Institute


An increasing number of microarray facilities are printing high density arrays to increase the number of features per slide. Although higher density printing can be performed using standard microarrayers, this can often result in significantly extended rinting runs ranging from overnight to several days or even longer. Typically printing is performed at 50% relative humidity, and significant evaporation of the aqueous printing buffers from the source plates and printing pins can occur. This results in printing aberrations and poor spot morphologies as well as a reduced number of spots printed per filled pin.

Product Development SCHOTT had many requests from around the world to develop a low evaporation printing buffer that is compatable with Nexterion® Slide E, SCHOTT’s market leading epoxysilane coated slide. R&D at SCHOTT Microarray Solutions initiated a program to develop a “low evaporation” printing buffer that would be suitable for use during long print runs and would produce excellent spot morphology (Fig.1) without negatively affecting the overall performance of the microarrays. Samples of the first LEB prototype printing buffer were sent out to several test sites in Europe and the U.S., and although the feedback from most sites was positive in terms of reducing the effect of evaporation, the spot sizes varied enormously. Given such a variance in spot size, plus the stringent requirements of many customers for specific spot sizes, it was decided that simply offering a single standard Low Evaporation Buffer would not meet the needs of the majority of customers.To circumvent this problem, and to allow maximum flexibility to the customers, SCHOTT came up with the concept of a LEB Kit consisting of an improved LEB buffer that does not contain any detergent, and a separate 1% Sarkosyl solution for optional use by the customer. By varying the amount of Sarkosyl solution added to the LEB, customers are able to adjust the spot size (50 µm–200 µm depending on pin diameter) according to their requirements. Full guidelines are provided with the kit.The LEB kit has been extensively tested internally, and by a group of beta test sites, and, to our knowledge, the evaporation rate of the improved LEB is the lowest (<5% loss at 50% relative humidity over 16 hour print runs) of any spotting buffer currently available on the market. With a pitch (spot spacing) of 160 µm, it is possible to achieve 25k spot density, without any wandering and/or coalescence of spots. It was found that pre-spotting is an extremely important factor in obtaining the best possible results with the LEB printing buffer, with 60-70 prespots after each source visit appearing to be optimal.

City of Hope Medical Centre LEB EvaluationAt the City of Hope Medical Center, the need for a lower evaporation spotting buffer coincided with the transition from spotting cDNA to microRNA oligonucleotides. When the Ambion mirVANA miRNA oligonucleotide probe sets were printed in 3x SSC and aqueous phosphate-based spotting buffers on Nexterion® Slide E, the facility recog-nized that only a maximum of 20-25 slides could be consistently printed (with four spot replicates per slide) due to the evaporation of probes on the pins during print runs. To circumvent this problem, the Nexterion® LEB buffer plus varying concentrations of detergent were tested with the microRNA oligonucleotides. After some initial experi-mentation, two customized LEB buffers containing 0.005% and 0.0075% detergent were selected for their ability to consistently printing up to 100 consecutive slides, with four spot replicates per slide. After further testing, it was found that for printing miRNA probes onto Nexterion® Slide E and HiSens E slides, the LEB buffer containing 0.005% detergent gave the most consistanly reproducible results.

Optimal Use of Expensive ProbesAn unexpected benefit was that the City of Hope discovered that they could print up to 500% more slides with the customized LEB than with the basic phosphate-based buffer. In addition, there was little or no evaporation from the 384-well plate during the 4-5 hours print runs. An example of a recent hybridization from a stringently controlled print is shown in Figure 2.

Fig.1 Example of spot morphology possible with Nexterion® LEB-Buffer

LEB UPDATE!SCHOTT is in the process of further improving the LEB buffer to accommodate over 25k spots per slide, further details will be included in future editions of Microarray Solutions. Read-ers interested in receiving further information on the tests conducted in-house and by our external test centers should contact us([email protected]) to receive a copy of the “LEB Testing Report”.

Facilities using Nexterion® LEB-Buffer:

• Microarray Core Facility, Lund, Sweden

• The Institute of Genomic Research/The Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (TIGR / PFGRC) Maryland, USA (see Article on Page 7)

• City of Hope Medical Center CA, USA

Scatter Plot of Optimized HybridizationHu.Thymus 555 Hu.Brain 647

Fig. 2: Scatter plot of expression ratios (background subtracted) displayed from optimized hybridization (Courtesy City of Hope)

New Product Focus – Nexterion® LEB (Low Evaporation Buffer) Kit


The Institute of Genomic Research (TIGR) / The Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (PFGRC) is a not-for-profit center dedicated to deciphering and analyzing genomes. For years TIGR/PFGRC has been at the forefront of the genomics revolution through ambitious scientific programs and has helped scientists around the world deepen the understanding of life by producing results in a diverse range of applications in the areas of medicine, agriculture, energy, the environment and biodefense. Microarrays are one of the many powerful tools TIGR/PFGRC uses to analyze thousands of genes simultaneously. In 2005, TIGR/PFGRC chose to partner with SCHOTT as its preferred microarray substrate provider. TIGR/PFGRC adoptedNexterion® Slide E as its substrate of choice after performing extensive tests comparing different slides and surface chemistries from several substrate suppliers. Since then TIGR/PFGRC has been in close contact with the SCHOTT technical support specialists to obtain the best possible results with Slide E.

TIGR/PFGRC has been successfully using SCHOTT’s Nexterion® Slide E for spotting their oligo and cDNA libraries for over a year. In recent discussions it became clear that TIGR/PFGRC would require a different print buffer to Nexterion® Spot, the standard phosphate based spotting solution offered by SCHOTT, as it moved to printing higher density arrays. In trying to print these higher density arrays with standard buffers, it was noticed that the buffer in the source plates was evaporating during the longer print runs. This required that the source plates be repeatedly refilled. TIGR/PFGRC was obviously keen to avoid this tedious, time consuming step and was also looking to make more efficient use of the probes by having a spotting solution available that could provide more spots per filled pin. After a significant amount of product development work, SCHOTT was able to provide TIGR/PFGRC with a prototype LEB buffer kit that appeared to give promising results in internal evaluations while sustaining the good features of the Nexterion® Spot print buffer in terms of uniform spot morphology and high signal intensities.

TIGR/PFGRC received the first prototype LEB and, in close consultation with the SCHOTT technical support specialists and the R&D team in Germany, immediately set about evaluating the product for its higher density arrays. The feedback from TIGR/PFGRC was promising with the LEB proving to be successful in reducing the effects of evaporation. However, in a conference call with SCHOTT’s technical support team, TIGR/PFGRC expressed concern at the spot sizes (around 100 µm) with the LEB, and were keen to see smaller spot sizes (many other LEB test centers reported that they were looking for a smaller or larger spot size with the LEB prototype, spot sizes ranged from 70 µm to 140 µm depending on the customer’s set-up conditions). Taking this feedback into account, SCHOTT prepared several different versions of the LEB buffer with different amounts of detergent to produce varying spot sizes.

TIGR/PFGRC ran several experiments with the buffers including evaporation tests (see Fig.1) and analysis of the spot morphology, signal intensity and spot size until they found the customized LEB most suitable for their arrays. LEB E2 performed the best in the evaluation, eliminating the problem of evaporation over the longer print run (little evaporation was seen even after 8 days of incubation at room temperature) and offering spot sizes averaging 65µm that were ideal for TIGR/PFGRC’s higher density arrays. Furthermore, after SCHOTT’s R&D team informed TIGR/PFGRC that 60-70 pre-spots per filled pin were optimal for prespotting with the LEBs, TIGR/PFGRC found that 600 spots could be printed with one filled pin – four times the number of spots it managed to get with the standard aqueous buffers.

In conclusion, TIGR/PFGRC was extremely impressed with its interaction with SCHOTT’s technical support specialists throughout the LEB evaluation and admitted that SCHOTT’s overall commitment to technical support was a key factor when TIGR/PFGRC decided to switch slide suppliers. The LEB buffer selected by TIGR/PFGRC is now a key component in the microarray production process. TIGR/PFGRC is now able to successfully produce high density arrays with precise spot sizes and morphologies, high signal intensities and low evaporation rates.

Technical Support in Focus – The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) andNexterion® LEB (Low Evaporation Buffer) Kit

“We have a pretty valued relationship with the scientists at SCHOTT. They're always very attentive to our needs and work closely with us to ensure our production runs smoothly.”

Kathy Ong, Research Associate at TIGR

Fig.1: Comparison of evaporation over 5 days

(Courtesy of TIGR)

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

Phosphate Buffer

Nexterion®

LEB Buffer

Ordering details for the new Nexterion® LEB kit

Item N° Contents

1117902 • 100 ml LEB print buffer

• 10 ml 1% Sarkosyl solution

• Instructions for use


SCHOTT Microarray Solutions Unit Gains ISO 9001 CertificationIn June 2006, the Microarray Solutions unit successfully passed the DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 certification.

Availability of New Surface Chemistries in HiSens Range of SlidesFollowing the launch of the Nexterion® HiSens range of slides earlier this year with the Nexterion® Slide A (Aminosilane) and Slide E (Epoxysilane) surface chemistries, SCHOTT is pleased to announce that HiSens slides will now be available with all sur-face chemistries in the Nexterion® product portfolio. This includes Nexterion® Slide A+ (Aminosilane), Slide AL (Aldehyde) and Slide H (3-D hydrogel) surfaces.Demand for Nexterion® HiSens slides continues to be high, and comes on the back of exceptionally good feedback from beta test sites and first customers. Users are consis-tently obtaining up to an eight fold increase in signal intensity with HiSens slides over regular slides, and the product is proving invaluable for applications in which research-ers have only a limited amount of target material. The availability of HiSens slides in all surface chemistries means that HiSens slides can now be used for an even wider range of applications, such as protein microarrays.Please contact your local Sales Manager for further information.

Nexterion® Web shop SuccessDo you prefer to do your shopping online? Are you tired of having to wait for purchase orders to be prepared and authorized before you can order products? Do you like the flexibility of being able to order products 24/7? Well, why not join the vast number of SCHOTT customers who regularly purchase products through the Nexterion® Web shop? SCHOTT launched the Nexterion® Web shop in all regions in February 2004. Customer usage of the web shop has increased dramatically with the number of U.S. customers quadrupling in the past year alone. The web shop allows users access to information on the full, up-to-date SCHOTT portfolio of Nexterion® products, including pricing, simply by completing the short registration form. All orders placed on the web shop are then sent directly to our Sales Department for immediate processing enabling us to have the products sent out to you without delay.SCHOTT re-launched the web shop in early 2006 by adding new products and infor-mation on the Nexterion® range and implementing a number of suggestions for im-provements from users. If you have encountered any problems with the Nexterion®

Web shop, or have suggestions on how we can improve the web shop experience, please contact us at [email protected].

Conference and Exhibition Calendar 2006/07

SCHOTT Microarray Solutions News

Kai Griesenbrock, Head of Quality and Process Management, accepts the ISO

9001 certificate from Dr. Michaela Krenzer, Senior ISO auditor, SCHOTT

To visit our web shop, please go to:

US:www.us.schott.com/nexterion/shop

Rest of the world:www.schott.com/nexterion/shop

Event Location Date WeblinkDiscovery-2-Diagnostics (D2D) (Chips to Hits)

Boston, USA 25 - 27 September 2006

www.discovery2diagnostics.com/

Advances in Microarray Technology

Amsterdam, Nether-lands

31 October - 02 No-vember 2006

www.selectbiosciences.com/conferences/amt2006

ASCB Annual meeting San Diego, USA 10 -13 December 2006

www.ascb.org/meetings/am2006/index.cfm

LabAutomation 2007 Palm Springs, CA.USA

28 - 31 January 2007 www.labautomation.org/LA/LA07

Statusseminar Chip-technologie 2007

Frankfurt, Germany 01 - 02 February 2007

www.dechema.de/chips

If you are interested in presentations given by SCHOTT at past conferences please contact us at [email protected]