WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. (WGBS.OB), the California-based gene and stem cell research systems developer, announced today the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with Euroclone S.p.A in Italy. Euroclone will distribute WaferGen’s SmartSlide™ Micro-Incubation System. WaferGen also signed a distributor agreement for SmartSlide with Takeda Rika Kogyo, Co. Ltd., of Japan. Both distributors serve cell biologists and stem cell researchers in the life science markets within their geographic areas.
WaferGen’s SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System is a unique family of integrated fluidics exchange micro-incubation products that work seamlessly with inverted microscopes. This breakthrough technology is enabling cell biology and stem cell researchers to conduct complex time-lapse imaging studies, to grow and work with stem cells and other difficult to cultivate cells. It allows researchers to pursue cutting-edge research topics that are not addressable with existing technology. As an example, the SmartSlide System will allow researchers to precisely control and vary oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, in order to create conditions which are critical for growth and differentiation of stem cells.
Alnoor Shivji, WaferGen’s chairman and CEO said “As evidenced by the signing of these additional distributor agreements in key foreign markets, we are continuing to build momentum with our SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System worldwide.”
WaferGen develops, manufactures, and markets state-of-the-art systems for gene expression, genotyping, and stem cell research. Its products are aimed at professionals who perform genetic analysis and cell biology, primarily at pharmaceutical and biotech companies, academic and private research centers, and diagnostics companies involved in biomarker research.
The company’s SmartSlide System is a long-term imaging enabling platform which can keep cells alive for long durations on its proprietary plates. SmartSlide can create a user-defined microenvironment in each one of the six wells, while the plate is on an inverted microscope, making it unnecessary to continually take the plate in and out of an incubator. Applications for the SmartSlide system include drug development, cancer research, and stem cell research, as well as cell and vascular biology.
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