MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory (MLL) has purchased RainDance Technologies’ ThunderStorm System and consumables to process an initial 2,000 samples for use in the identification of prognostically relevant molecular mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other myeloid malignancies.

"By sequencing the many mutations found in AML and MDS in a routine setting, we will better understand how to distinguish which patients need the most aggressive treatments, like stem cell transplants, and which can be treated effectively also using standard chemotherapies," said Dr. Torsten Haferlach, co-founder and CEO of the MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory. “We tested other methods but chose the RainDance platform due to its homogeneous sequence coverage, fast turnaround time and efficient workflow—it is ideally suited to our high-throughput and high-quality accredited environment.”

Roopom Banerjee, president and CEO of RainDance Technologies, explained, “Powered by our proven droplet-based single molecule PCR technology, the ThunderStorm System delivers unprecedented daily sample throughput, automated walk-away operation and running economics that are significantly lower than any other commercial solution.”

In addition, RainDance and MLL have completed a collaboration which resulted in the development of a novel content panel for use in the sequence-based analysis of AML and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The content panel will enable researchers to analyze more than 25 genes at the single base level. Containing over 1,300 amplicons, the panel is based on the RainDance DirectSeq tailed library strategy and provides coverage of over 235Kb of gene sequence simultaneously for downstream analysis on next-generation sequencing systems. The DirectSeq tailed primer library approach eliminates labor-intensive sequencing library prep, enables direct incorporation of sequencing barcodes, and shortens workflow time from several days down to several hours.

Banerjee said that they “believe that the AML/MDS content panel we’ve developed together will enable translational researchers to better characterize life-threatening cancers.”

The panel will be used at MLL and also be commercially available to RainDance customers worldwide.