June 7, 2004 — The Genome Institute of Singapore and NimbleGen Systems Inc. of Madison, Wis., have teamed up to develop a microarray-based test that they say more rapidly and accurately identifies strains of the SARS virus than current methods.

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The institute and NimbleGen said in a news release that the gene chip cuts the testing period down to three days from one week. It also can process up to 50 samples at a time, potentially increasing the number of patients that can be screened simultaneously. It also lends itself to large-scale studies of the evolution of the genetic makeup of the virus and can be adapted for other diseases, the release said.

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An institute official said the chip “genetic fingerprinting” technique can help tell where and when an infected individual might have contracted the disease.