OpGen: Why stop at SNPs?

Most genotyping technologies focus on sequences such as single nucleotide polymorphisms. However, SNPs are not the source of most genetic variation, and research has shown that non-SNP aberrations are more relevant to phenotypic differences. OpGen Inc. has developed optical mapping technologies that identify not only SNPs, but also insertions and deletions (indels), rearrangements, translocations and amplifications of whole genomes.

"Optical mapping detects a much wider range of genetic variation than SNP technology, including the insertions, deletions and translocations that are so important in cancer," said Chief Scientific Officer Colin Dykes. ...