The new tool, dubbed the nuclear receptor set allows researchers to study more than 1.000 promoters involved in cellular signalling pathways that are controlled by nuclear receptor proteins in a high-throughput and efficient manner.

While high-throughput genomic techniques such as microarray expression analysis and ChIP-on-chip (chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip) have led to insights into genetic pathways they cannot identify functional connections within networks or explain gene regulation mechanisms.

To address this, SwitchGear Genomics, which was spun-out of Stanford University in 2005, has released new high-throughput technologies for regulatory pathway research that allows scientists to study the effects of both small molecule and biological drugs on disease progression.

"Our philosophy at SwitchGear Genomics is that conclusions can be made with much higher confidence by integrating the data from multiple independent genome-scale experiments," explains Shelley Force Aldred, president of SwitchGear Genomics.

"These integrated data sets will explain a transcriptional regulatory network in much greater detail than if the data sets were analyzed independently of one another."

The new technology was created by cloning human genome fragments that represent various promoters, UTRs (untranslated regions) and other cell signalling regulatory elements, into the Promega pGL4.11[luc2P] Vector.

The luciferase reporters in the vector allow researchers to peer inside cells and see which regulatory elements control a diseased genome. This can allow new drug targets to be discovered as well as seeing which pathways drug candidates affect.

"The Promega luciferase reporters, specifically the luc2P construct, offer the best characteristics in a bioluminescent reporter assay. It really delivers the strongest sensitivity, dynamic range, turnover rate and compatibility with high-throughput platforms," said Force Aldred.

The set is delivered in various well-plate formats to allow easy integration into the high-throughput screening set ups used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world.

The company is also selling sets specifically designed to study cancer pathways including those related to apoptosis, cell cycle, hypoxia, DNA damage and also the p53 transcription factor.