Promega and SwitchGear Publish Findings from Combined Technologies that Correlate Binding Events and Transcriptional Activity

November 18th, 2009 Madison, WI (November, 18, 2009) — Promega Corporation and SwitchGear Genomics announce a novel method for characterizing DNA-protein interactions. Results of a study using the HaloCHIP™ System and high-throughput promoter assays demonstrate the ability to correlate DNA binding events to transcriptional activation or repression for the CREB transcription factor. The findings appear in the article “A functional analysis of the CREB signaling pathway using HaloCHIP-chip and high throughput reporter assays“, recently published in BMC Genomics online. This combination of technologies enables discovery of genome-wide DNA binding sites for transcription factors and the functional activities of the promoter sequences bound by those transcription factors. “This comprehensive approach enables the comparison between binding events and transcriptional activity,” said Nathan Trinklein, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of SwitchGear Genomics. “Characterizing the functional consequences of binding events is essential to more fully understanding the control of gene expression.” HaloCHIP, which uses Promega HaloTag® Technology, eliminates the need for antibodies to capture protein:DNA complexes, thereby avoiding one of the major challenges of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) techniques. “HaloCHIP allows researchers to more easily and efficiently capture genome-wide protein-DNA complexes starting with a much smaller number of cells,” stated Danette Hartzell, Senior Research Scientist at Promega Corporation. “This antibody-free method for revealing DNA binding events in combination with functional reporter assays can significantly advance gene regulation studies.” About Promega: Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company’s 2,000 products enable scientists worldwide to advance their knowledge in genomics, proteomics, cellular analysis, molecular diagnostics and human identification. Founded in 1978, the company is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 14 countries and over 50 global distributors. For more information about Promega, visit www.promega.com. About SwitchGear Genomics, Inc.: SwitchGear Genomics Inc. is a leading provider of products for studying the regulatory elements in the human genome. The company has developed a comprehensive approach to generate new insights into gene regulatory networks and allow researchers to efficiently screen entire pathways in living cells. SwitchGear was founded in March 2005 by Dr. Richard Myers, Dr. Nathan Trinklein and Dr. Shelley Force Aldred from Stanford University. For more information about SwitchGear, please visit the company’s website at switchgeargenomics.com