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Agilent Technologies Extends Collaboration on Reproductive GeneticsAgilent (News - Alert) Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that it is extending its collaboration with the Centre for Human Genetics of the University of Leuven and the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium. Joris Vermeesch, chair of the Centre for Human Genetics and a leading expert in human genetics, will coordinate the collaboration. The earlier collaboration preceded the commercial launch of Agilent's OneSight software platform, which helps researchers visualize and explore chromosomal and sub-chromosomal aneuploidies in cell-free DNA sequencing data. Over the past few years, interest in cell-free DNA analysis has strongly increased, not only because it can be used to perform non-invasive prenatal testing, but also because cfDNA can be found in liquid biopsies from cancer patients. In addition, recent evidence suggests that cfDNA can be found in an embryo's blastocoel fluid and culture medium and used for preimplantation genetic screening. The two teams are also investigating comprehensive solutions for preimplantation genetic testing, which could enable labs to use a single sequencing workflow to perform preimplantation genetic diagnoses for single gene disorders and translocation carriers as well as PGS for chromosomal abnormalities on the same embryo biopsy. The PGT development efforts are also supported by a grant from the Flemish government. "Agilent is very excited to extend our collaboration with Prof. Vermeesch, with whom we've had a close partnership for the past two years. This is a unique and excellent example of a government-industry-academia partnership designed to translate innovative research into commercial solutions that address unmet needs in the human reproductive genetics space," said Herman Verrelst, Agilent vice president and general manager of the company's Genomics Division. Joris Vermeesch, chair of the Centre for Human Genetics, added, "During the last ten years the laboratory has been developing innovative approaches to analyze single cells, embryos and cell-free DNA. The collaboration with Agilent allows us to make the products user-friendly, speed up the clinical implementation, and reach out worldwide." About Agilent Technologies (News - Alert) Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A), a global leader in life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets, is the premier laboratory partner for a better world. Agilent works with customers in more than 100 countries, providing instruments, software, services and consumables for the entire laboratory workflow. The company generated revenues of $4.20 billion in fiscal 2016 and employs about 12,500 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.
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