Corning Eyes DNA Microarray Market

MIAMI, Sept. 14 -- Using a new process to manufacture a large volume of microarrays that can used by researchers to analyze thousand of genes at once, Corning Inc. hopes to gain a foothold in the high-growth market for tools used to accelerate genomic research and the discovery of new drugs.
Corning's new process will make it possible to manufacture one DNA microarray per minute --10 to 20 times more than standard manufacturing processes, Corning said. The new process allows Corning to produce thousands of arrays during a single production run, compared with current techniques that typically produce less than 500 microarrays, the company said. Corning expects the market for DNA microarrays to reach $1 billion by the end of 2005. Corning's own microarray manufacturing process will be fully operational by the first quarter of next year, the company said.
Corning's entry into this market falls within the boundaries of its recent ventures in high-growth markets, such as fiber optic technologies that expand the capacity of the Internet, and flat panel displays used in computers, digital cameras and personal digital assistants, the company said.