Amersham Biosciences, University of Washington In Proteomics Collaboration.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

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SEATTLE & PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BW HealthWire)--March 11, 2002

Amersham Biosciences and the University of Washington (UW) have entered into a strategic collaboration in the area of Proteomics.

The collaboration is centered around the integration of protein and messenger RNA (mRNA)-expression data generated using Amersham Biosciences' Two-Dimensional Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) technology and DNA microarray platform. The system has been placed in Dr. Roger Bumgarner's laboratory in the Department of Microbiology and the Regional Primate Research Center at the UW.

2-D DIGE is Amersham Biosciences' proprietary leading-edge technology for 2-D gel electrophoresis, the separation of proteins for protein expression analysis. It is a high-throughput system that allows researchers to perform direct comparisons of up to three protein samples on a single 2-D gel, thereby reducing the time and effort needed to analyze proteins and the potential for human error. The system consists of technology and reagents for multiple fluorescent labeling of proteins, a 2-D gel imaging system, and DeCyder(TM) software for accurate differential analysis. DeCyder software automatically locates and analyzes the multiplexed samples in the same gel within minutes to give a highly sensitive and accurate measurement of differential protein expression.

"The integration of messenger RNA expression profiles with high-throughput proteomics data is part of a long-term strategy to develop a research platform at the University of Washington that will allow us to more fully explore the functioning of a cell," said Dr. Roger Bumgarner, Research Assistant, Professor and Director of the Center for Expression Arrays at UW. "Amersham Biosciences has been a great partner in our previous work on microarrays and we look forward to expanding our collaboration into the field of proteomics."

"Amersham Biosciences focuses on enabling effective, efficient proteomics research through integrated, high throughput, automated systems that speed up analysis and make it possible to study thousands of proteins at once," said Mats Grahn, Vice President, Product Management for Proteomics at Amersham Biosciences. "We're pleased to have Dr. Bumgarner as a collaborator and see his efforts to integrate data from the DIGE system and the DNA microarray data as a natural extension of our own efforts in this area."

Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham plc (LSE, NYSE, OSE: AHM), is a world leader in developing and providing integrated systems and solutions for disease research, drug development and manufacture. Its systems are used to uncover the function of genes and proteins, for the discovery and development of drugs and for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The customers for Amersham Biosciences' products and technologies are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research and academic institutions, principally in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. More information about Amersham Biosciences is available at www.amershambiosciences.com.