Huntington, W.Va. - Vandalia Research is pleased to announce the launch of its Triathlon™-based custom DNA amplification service. The Triathlon™ is a system invented by Vandalia Research to enable the mass production of specific, high-quality DNA sequences with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

While PCR has many advantages for DNA manufacturing, there are barriers because of thermal limitations with rapid heating and cooling of aqueous mixtures. Typically, generating large quantities of DNA using PCR requires that the reaction mixture be distributed into very small tubes for thermal cycling. The reaction mix is subsequently collected and combined before PCR-amplified DNA products can be used. The Triathlon™, however, scales a PCR reaction from the bench to an industrial production system.

The Triathlon™’s primary advantage is a continuous method for heating and cooling the PCR reagents, which facilitates processing unlimited volume without having to pool the products from multiple small tubes. This results in reduced labor, decreased turnaround time, and, most critically, a reduction in the number of opportunities for contamination. The Triathlon™ enables PCR to cost-effectively transition from research to production.

March 28, 2005 marked the expiration of the foundational PCR patents in the U.S.A. and equivalent ex-U.S.A. foundational PCR patents expired on March 28, 2006. The expiration of these key patents allows PCR to be used for many applications without licensing fees.

Vandalia Research is now providing milligram and gram quantities of custom PCR-amplified DNA for a variety of applications, such as diagnostic standards, genetic therapy research, and custom probes. Working closely with customers allows Vandalia Research to respond rapidly to their novel applications for PCR products with a high-quality product and excellent turnaround time.

To learn more about the advantages of PCR, the Triathlon™, and information about your specific applications, please visit www.TriathlonDNA.com.

About Vandalia Research, Inc. - Vandalia Research, Inc. is a life sciences research company based in Huntington, West Virginia. Vandalia Research creates novel instrumentation to directly address specific market needs in advanced biotechnology manufacturing. For more information, call (304) 529-0803 or visit the Vandalia Research website at www.vandaliaresearch.com.