Cytogenetics analysis benefits from collaboration

Developed by cytogeneticists, the Genikon system facilitates the acquisition and interpretation of results from manual and automated karyotyping and spot counting, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), multicolour FISH (mFISH) and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). In addition, its extremely flexible archiving and database structure allows this system to be used in a true networking environment from a variety of locations, making it ideal for researchers, cytogeneticists, pathologists and haematologists working with chromosomes using DNA, cancer and leukaemia probes. With the capacity for manual and automatic karyotyping (R, Q and G bands), the Genikon software separates single or multiple overlapping chromosomes, aligns centromeres, and rotates chromosomes for easy quantification and ideogram comparison. Chromosome edges can be sharpened using an eraser tool and chromosomes may be magnified by up to a factor of two Contrast can be modified during and after acquisition using special filters, and annotations (text or arrows) can be added at any stage. The Genikon FISH module enables both manual and automatic changing of filters and filter cubes. The system memorises the offset, integration time and assigned colour for every fluorochrome/filter combination, as well as automatically correcting pixel shifts, allowing the user to create a personalised fluorochrome/filter list for consistent image acquisition. Genikon also combines fluorescence and brightfield images. In mFISH, GenikonÆs pseudocolour palate allows easily distinguishable colours to be assigned to each probe. Inter-chromosomal rearrangements can then be identified easily as colour changes within an affected chromosome. Whereas all of the colours created in mFISH cannot be differentiated by the human eye, GenikonÆs software can discriminate even the finest variation in emitted signal from each dye, or combinations of dyes, marking a chromosome. Once the information has been processed, the vivid display assists users visualise all the chromosomes at one time by æpaintingÆ each pair in a different fluorescence colour, revealing the chromosome rearrangements in a cell. With CGH, Genikon's high-resolution analysis allows users to screen tumour cells for characteristic DNA gains and losses, including mutations at the chromosomal and subchromosomal level. The system will automatically output the images and results, which can then be sorted, checked and reported.