KromaTiD Whole Chromosome Paints

The six billion base pairs of DNA that comprise virtually all human cells are packaged into 23 pairs of discrete and characteristic chromosomes. Many genetic diseases arise from an incorrect number of chromosomes (aneuploidy), such as Down’s syndrome. Other problems occur when chromosomes are broken and the resulting pieces join back together incorrectly. These types of rearrangements frequently lead to chromosome translocations, wherein a piece of one chromosome becomes fused with another. Both translocations and aneuploidies occur spontaneously, but are dramatically increased following exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation.

Such genetic untoward changes are responsible for a number of medically important consequences, including birth defects, sterility, and cancer. The best way to detect such chromosome changes under the microscope is to effectively “paint” the chromosomes a unique color, so as to distinguish them from each other. KromaTiD offers advancements in the ability to construct whole chromosome paints by utilizing the power of the human genome project, coupled with massively parallel robotic methods of DNA synthesis. KromaTiD’s proprietary whole chromosome paints promise to be considerably less expensive, and of higher quality (produce more specific and robust fluorescence signals) than that achievable by current methods. KromaTiD’s technology has the potential to completely displace current chromosomal paint technologies. Beyond even this, our whole chromosome paints provide a means to increase the size of a market that is currently constricted by cost.