Nearly a decade has passed since the first microarrays were created, and yet we are just beginning to see what can be achieved with this technology. Today's scientists are innovative and technologically savvy. They are pushing the boundaries of modern research by asking tough questions and by creatively applying existing technology to answer them. As they do, so the technologies and the applications improve and advance. Such is the era for microarrays.

As readers will see in the Chipping Forecast II, the range of microarray applications has expanded. Emerging from their roots in gene screening and target identification, microarrays are now being applied to disease characterization, developmental biology, pathway mapping, mechanism of action studies and toxicology. Scientists are conducting profiling studies that may lead to the use of microarrays in personalized medicine, in molecular diagnosis of disease and in predicting drug efficacy and toxicity in different individuals. Just imagine the opportunities to learn even more using this technology!

At times like this, scientists require the utmost flexibility and support from the technologies that they use and from the companies with whom they work. Agilent's vision is to provide scientists with the variety and high quality of microarrays that they need, whether it is for a new organism, a specified list of genes or an updated genome. Our goal is to enable scientists to carry out the experiments that they would like to do (rather than that the experiments that are possible today) and to keep pace with the expanding knowledge of the industry.

Innovative research will drive progress in medical treatments and will form the basis for the work of future scientists. Quality is a requirement and becomes even more crucial as microarray applications move further downstream into drug development and clinical trials. As the impact of a technology on the quality of human life increases, so too do the responsibilities and regulations. As a leader in regulatory compliance services, Agilent understands and is competent to meet the challenges set before this industry. Our commitment to quality is both continuous and unwavering. It is and will be embodied in all of the products and services that we provide to help scientists in their research.

Agilent Technologies is proud to sponsor this special supplement of Nature Genetics. We salute the spirit of innovation that has exemplified the past 50 years of genetic research and look forward to supporting you for the next 50.