Agencourt Bioscience Completes Significant DNA Sequencing Project for Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research.Business/Technology Editors & Health/Medical Writers BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2001 Sequencing of Puffer puffer, common name for some tropical marine fish of the family Tetraodontidae. The puffers and their allies, the boxfish, the porcupinefish, and the ocean sunfish or headfish, form an odd group (order Tetraodontiformes). Fish Genome Adds Key Data for Researchers of the Human Genome The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is composed of 24 distinct pairs of chromosomes (22 autosomal + X + Y) with a total of approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs containing an estimated 20,000–25,000 genes. Agencourt Bioscience Corporation, a provider of DNA sequencing DNA sequencing The determination of the sequence of nucleotides in a sample of DNA. services and solutions for the life sciences industry, announced today that it has completed its work on sequencing the puffer fish Tetraodon nigroviridis Tetraodon nigroviridis is one of the pufferfish known as the green spotted puffer (the other being Tetraodon fluviatilis).[1] It is found across South and Southeast Asia in coastal freshwater and brackish water habitats. genome as part of its collaboration with the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. This is the smallest vertebrate genome known to man and like its distant salt water relative Fugu fu·gu n. Any of various poisonous fish related to the puffers that are used as food, especially in Japan, after the poisonous skin and organs have been removed. [Japanese. rubripes (sequenced by the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute The DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) was created in 1997 to unite the expertise and resources in genome mapping, DNA sequencing, technology development, and information sciences pioneered at the DOE genome centers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore ), Tetraodon is considered to be one of the modern day "Rosetta Stones" for molecular biologists working to decipher the Human Genome. Tetraodon's non-toxicity and compact genome make it ideal for sequencing. In conjunction with the significant preliminary mapping and sequencing progress contributed by Jean Weissenbach's group at GenoScope in Envry, France, Agencourt provided another 2 million double-ended whole genome shotgun sequencing reads required to unveil the mystery of this genome. "The international collaboration was an excellent example of merging diverse skill sets to quickly reach a valuable milestone for genomic research. We now have enough coverage of the Tetraodon genome to begin assembly," said Eric S. Lander, director of the Whitehead Institute Center for Genomic Research. Agencourt contributed 2.7x phred 20 coverage of whole genome double-ended shotgun sequences while GenoScope contributed another 2.3x of long read Li-Cor sequences and BAC BAC abbr. blood alcohol concentration end reads. Whitehead generated 5kb whole genome shotgun libraries that Agencourt used to generate the sequence data. "Library construction for this fish was no easy task. The tissues involved were stubborn and unyielding, making library construction for this organism more art than science," said Nicole Stange-Thomann, who organized the library construction of more than 5,000 BAC libraries for the Human Genome Project, and a variety of other whole genome shotgun libraries at the Whitehead Institute. Tetraodon and the puffer fish Fugu rubripes are considered to be important species to the sequence because they are vertebrates and 8 times as compact as the human genome, with much the same genes and regulatory content as human but with much less "junk" DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. . This makes it easier to identify genes in the human. Together, the two fish sequences will add to the knowledge base researchers need to unravel the mysteries of the human genome. Comparing the human genome to those of other species helps researchers identify important genetic elements conserved through evolution. Two of Agencourt's founders played an integral role in helping to scale Whitehead's sequencing facility for the Human Genome project. "We are confident that the high quality and higher sequence coverage provided with Tetraodon will expedite the discovery of not only human and mouse regulatory regions but the functional domains of human proteins," said Kevin McKernan, co-chief scientific officer and co-founder of Agencourt. About Agencourt Bioscience Corporation Agencourt Bioscience Corporation is a provider of genomic services and products such as DNA Sequencing, SNP SNP Scottish National Party Noun 1. SNP - (genetics) genetic variation in a DNA sequence that occurs when a single nucleotide in a genome is altered; SNPs are usually considered to be point mutations that have been evolutionarily Genotyping and DNA Purification to the life sciences industry. Agencourt solutions help biotech and pharmaceutical companies improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their drug development pipelines. The Company's proven and patented Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization Immobilization Definition Immobilization refers to the process of holding a joint or bone in place with a splint, cast, or brace. This is done to prevent an injured area from moving while it heals. (SPRI SPRI Scott Polar Research Institute (University of Cambridge) SPRI Single Ply Roofing Institute SPRI Schering-Plough Research Institute (Corporate division) (TM)) technology has been used to sequence over 10 billion base pairs of high quality DNA or more than one-third of the human genome. Several of Agencourt's founders worked at the Whitehead Institute Center for Genome Research, and have significant experience in marrying the chemistries and instrumentation for high-throughput genomics. Agencourt is located in Beverly, Mass. and is available on the Web at www.agencourt.com. |
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