Precision medicine starts with population-aware SNP genotyping. In today’s landscape of genomics and genetics research, the ability to generate high-quality, population-relevant genetic data is fundamental to discovery. Whether advancing genome-wide association studies (GWAS), building precision medicine programmes, or exploring complex disease biology, researchers require scalable, accurate, and accessible genotyping solutions.
At CPGR, we provide the Axiom™ Precision Medicine Diversity Research Array (PMDA) as an end-to-end SNP microarray genotyping service. This service-based approach removes the need for in-house infrastructure, enabling research teams to access high-density SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) data with confidence – from sample submission through to analysis-ready outputs.
A Service Model for Scalable Genomics
A SNP microarray (DNA microarray) remains one of the most efficient and reliable technologies for analysing hundreds of thousands of SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) across the genome in a single experiment. These markers form the backbone of modern genomics and genetics, supporting applications ranging from GWAS to precision medicine and pharmacogenomics.
Through CPGR’s PMDA service, researchers gain access to over 850000 SNPs, indels, and copy number variants (CNVs), delivered through a streamlined, end-to-end workflow. By offering genotyping as a service, we enable institutions to focus on research outcomes rather than laboratory operations.
Optimised for Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS)
The PMDA has been specifically designed to support high-resolution genome-wide association studies (GWAS). With more than 800000 imputation markers selected from the 1000 Genomes Project (Phase III), the array enables downstream imputation to millions of additional variants across populations.
For GWAS applications, this translates into improved statistical power, enhanced variant discovery, and the ability to perform cross-cohort meta-analyses. In African genomics, the PMDA enables up to 14.7 million imputable variants, with high imputation accuracy – making it particularly well suited for diverse and underrepresented populations. This level of coverage ensures that genomics and genetics research conducted using the PMDA is not only robust, but also globally competitive and publication ready.
Enabling Precision Medicine and Pharmacogenomics
Beyond GWAS, the PMDA SNP microarray service is a powerful platform for precision medicine. By capturing genetic variation linked to disease risk and drug response, it enables researchers to investigate how genomic differences influence clinical outcomes.
The array includes more than 5000 pharmacogenomics (PGx) SNP markers across over 1100 ADME genes, with support for star allele calling in clinically relevant genes such as CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. This makes it highly effective for studies focused on drug metabolism, treatment response, and translational genomics.
In addition, the inclusion of clinically relevant variants from ACMG59 and ClinVar supports research into inherited diseases and actionable genetic findings – further strengthening its role in precision medicine research.
Population-Aware Design for Inclusive Genomics
A defining strength of the PMDA is its population-aware design. Unlike traditional SNP microarrays developed primarily using European reference datasets, the PMDA was built to maximise genomic coverage across diverse populations, including African, Admixed American, East Asian, European, and South Asian groups.
This has significant implications for genomics and genetics research in South Africa and across the African continent. By improving SNP representation and imputation accuracy in diverse populations, the PMDA enables more inclusive, accurate, and meaningful research outcomes.
For researchers working on African cohorts or global studies requiring diversity-aware datasets, this design is critical to ensuring validity and impact.
End-to-End SNP Microarray Genotyping as a Service
CPGR’s PMDA offering is built as a fully managed genotyping-as-a-service solution, supporting researchers at every stage of the Axiom™ PMDA workflow.
The process begins with DNA extraction to recover 100 ng of genomic DNA. This is followed by DNA quality control, where sample integrity, purity, and concentration are assessed to ensure optimal performance. Samples then undergo automated microarray processing on the GeneTitan Multi-Channel instrument, followed by high-accuracy genotype calling and quality control using Axiom™ PMDA Analysis Suite. The Axiom™ PMDA Plus is an additional step implemented upon request before genotyping and allows for gene-specific amplification for pharmacogenomic markers that are in highly homologous regions of the genome.
The final output is not raw data, but analysis-ready genomics datasets, including SNP genotype files, CNV results, and comprehensive QC metrics. Where required, we also provide pharmacogenomics outputs and bioinformatics support for downstream GWAS, genomics, and genetics analysis.
This end-to-end service ensures consistency, reproducibility, and efficiency – particularly for large-scale (population-based) or multi-site studies.
High-Quality, Reproducible Genomics Data
For any genomics or genetics study, data quality is critical. The PMDA platform delivers consistently high performance, with an average SNP call rate of 99.7%, reproducibility exceeding 99.8%, and concordance rates above 99.8%.
These metrics make the service ideal for large cohort studies, biobank-scale projects, and longitudinal research where reproducibility and data integrity are essential. Combined with the standardised manufacturing of Axiom™ microarrays, this ensures that every dataset generated is consistent across runs and over time.
Extending Insights Through Multi-OMICS
While SNP genotyping provides foundational genetic insights, its value is amplified when integrated with other layers of biological data. At CPGR, PMDA-generated datasets can be combined with transcriptomics, DNA methylation, and microbiome analyses to support multi-OMICS research.
This integrative approach enables researchers to link genetic variation to gene expression, epigenetic regulation, and environmental interactions, providing a more complete understanding of biological systems in precision medicine.
A Service Built for Genomics Research Impact
CPGR’s PMDA SNP microarray genotyping service is designed to support a wide range of research contexts, including academic, clinical, and commercial applications. From genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to precision medicine programmes, the service provides a scalable and accessible solution for high-quality genomic data generation.
By combining advanced SNP microarray technology with local expertise and end-to-end service delivery, CPGR enables researchers to conduct impactful genomics and genetics research without the burden of managing complex laboratory workflows.
Start Your GWAS or Precision Medicine Project
As the demand for high-quality genomic data continues to grow, service-based solutions are becoming essential to enabling research at scale.
CPGR’s PMDA SNP microarray genotyping service offers a powerful combination of GWAS-ready SNP coverage, precision medicine applications, and population-aware design, delivered through a seamless and reliable service model.
Contact CPGR to discuss your project requirements, sample submission, and how this service can support your next genomics or genetics study.
Request Costing from our Microarray Platform – https://www.cpgr.org.za/register-project/
Schedule a consultation for a discussion on next steps – https://calendly.com/justin-naicker-cpgr/cpgr-chat?month=2026-03
