Applied Biosystems Joins the Genographic Project to Support Landmark Population Genetics Study Mapping the History of Human Migration.FOSTER CITY, Calif. & WASHINGTON -- Leading Life Sciences Company to Provide Laboratory Research Equipment and Services to Ten Global Field Research Centers Applied Biosystems Applied Biosystems, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: ABIO) is the original name of a pioneer biotechnology company founded in 1981 in Foster City, California, among the Silicon Valley cities of the southern San Francisco Bay Area. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :ABI Abi (ā`bī) [short for Abijah], in the Bible, King Hezekiah's mother. (Application Binary Interface) A specification for a specific hardware platform combined with the operating system. ), an Applera Corporation business, and the Genographic Project today announced that Applied Biosystems has joined the Genographic Project as a supporting sponsor. Applied Biosystems has signed a multi-year agreement with the project to provide laboratory research equipment and services to each of the ten participating global research centers. The company's technology will be used to aid in the generation of one of the world's largest databases of information about the sources of humankind's diversity. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The Genographic Project is a ground-breaking research partnership of the National Geographic Society National Geographic Society U.S. scientific society founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge. and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) to map the history of human migration, with global field science supported by the Waitt Family Foundation. Applied Biosystems is a leading global provider of life science technologies. The company brings a 25-year history of groundbreaking life science innovation to the project, including the development of the technologies that enabled the historic sequencing 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. . Applied Biosystems DNA analysis DNA analysis Any technique used to analyze genes and DNA. See Chromosome walking, DNA fingerprinting, Footprinting, In situ hybridization, Jeffries' probe, Jumping libraries, PCR, RFLP analysis, Southern blot hybridization. technologies -- including instruments that sequence 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. , detect genetic variations and identify patterns of inheritance -- will enhance the ability of the Genographic Project to analyze DNA from more than 100,000 individuals from indigenous and traditional populations with whom researchers will be collaborating in this landmark study. Theodore Schurr, Ph.D., principal investigator Noun 1. principal investigator - the scientist in charge of an experiment or research project PI scientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences of the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. Regional Center for the Genographic Project and assistant professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. in Philadelphia, is the first project researcher to receive the state-of-the-art equipment from Applied Biosystems. "My international colleagues and I all agree that this dedicated laboratory equipment will expand our research efforts tremendously," said Dr. Schurr. "It will not only accelerate the rate and promote the accuracy of our genetic analyses, but also greatly amplify the breadth of work that we can do for the Genographic Project." The other laboratories that will perform the DNA analysis for the project are located at: the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais UFMG is one of Brazil's five largest universities. It offers 48 different undergraduate courses, including an extremely sought-after Medicine course, traditional options such as Law and Economics, plus a handful of Engineering options and a wide array of Science and Art courses. (Brazil), Institut Pasteur (France), Universitat Pompeu Fabra Pompeu Fabra i Poch, (Barcelona 1868 - Prada de Conflent 1948) was a Catalan grammarian, the main author of the normative reform of contemporary Catalan language. Trained as a mechanical engineer, from a quite young age he dedicated himself to the study of the Catalan (Spain), American University of Beirut American University of Beirut, at Beirut, Lebanon; English language; chartered by New York State in 1866 as Syrian Protestant College, rechartered 1920 as the American Univ. of Beirut. Medical Center (Lebanon), Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Russia), La Trobe University 1. u/r = unranked 2.AsiaWeek is now discontinued. Student life During the 1970s and 1980s, La Trobe, along with Monash, was considered to have the most politically active student body of any university in Australia. (Australia), Fudan University Fudan University (Simplified Chinese: 复旦大学; Traditional Chinese: 復旦大學; Pinyin: Fùdàn Dàxué (China), Madurai Kamaraj University “MKU” redirects here. For other uses, see MKU (disambiguation). Profile Madurai Kamaraj University, located in Madurai town (in southern Tamil Nadu, India) established in 1966, has 18 Schools comprising 72 Departments. (India), National Health Laboratory Service (South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. ), and the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA
Researchers at these global regional field research sites will use Applied Biosystems technology to analyze DNA samples from indigenous and traditional populations around the globe. DNA from these groups is important to the project because it contains key genetic markers that have remained relatively unaltered over hundreds of generations. Analysis of these markers should help researchers understand humankind's diversity resulting from approximately 60,000 years of global migration. Analysis of the collected samples is purely for anthropological research purposes. "Understanding the genetic variations that have occurred over thousands of years of migration and evolution will help us to understand modern-day human diversity, from the way we look to the various languages we speak," said Spencer Wells Spencer Wells (born April 6 1969 in Georgia, USA) is a geneticist and anthropologist, and an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. He leads The Genographic Project. Education Wells grew up in Lubbock, Texas and started college at age 16.
In addition to providing the suite of research technologies that will be used in the project, Applied Biosystems also will provide equipment training, service and logistical supply support to the world-wide research laboratories. "The discovery and characterization of meaningful genetic variations has become a principle focus for life science research," said Catherine M. Burzik, president of Applied Biosystems. "This project, with a mission to help explain those variations that have contributed to the rich genetic diversity of our species, is well aligned with our corporate commitment to advancing the many applications of life science technology that can benefit society." Members of the general public can take part in the project by purchasing a Genographic Project Public Participation Kit and submitting their own cheek swab sample, enabling them to track the overall progress of the project as well as learn their own migratory history. Data from the Genographic Project eventually will be made public in a form that does not reveal the identity of participants. Proceeds from kit sales support the Genographic Legacy Fund and incremental field research. For more information about the project, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/genographic. NOTE TO EDITORS: Please see the attached backgrounder for more information on the Applied Biosystems technologies and services it is providing to the Genographic Project. For photographs, please visit http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/genographic_images/. Username: press Password: press About the National Geographic Society Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Its mission is to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural, historical and natural resources. National Geographic Society reflects the world through its five magazines, cable television channels and programs, films, radio, books, videos, maps, interactive media and merchandise, reaching as many as 300 million people each month. About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids Nucleic acids The cellular molecules DNA and RNA that act as coded instructions for the production of proteins and are copied for transmission of inherited traits. (DNA and RNA RNA: see nucleic acid. RNA in full ribonucleic acid One of the two main types of nucleic acid (the other being DNA), which functions in cellular protein synthesis in all living cells and replaces DNA as the carrier of genetic ), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing paternity testing see parentage testing. ); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of nearly $1.8 billion during fiscal 2005. The Celera Genomics Group is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of diagnostic products as well as leveraging its proteomic, bioinformatic, and genomic capabilities to identify and validate drug targets, and is also seeking to advance therapeutic antibody and selected small molecule drug programs in collaboration with global technology and market leaders. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com. About IBM IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with more than 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. It has a long history of innovating on behalf of society, and in recent years has launched a series of major research initiatives designed to overcome many of the remaining "grand challenges" of science, including the Deep Blue chess-playing computer and unraveling the mysteries of protein folding with BlueGene, the world's fastest supercomputer. IBM Research is the world's largest information technology research organization, with more than 3,000 scientists and engineers at eight labs in six countries. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com. About the Waitt Family Foundation The Waitt Family Foundation funds partnerships and projects that seek a deeper understanding of human history, expand the potential of the human mind and improve mankind's knowledge through historical and scientific exploration. The Foundation applies its resources on the past, present and future of mankind, and by anticipating what might be on the horizon tomorrow, helps prepare for a better world. For more information about the Waitt Family Foundation, visit www.waittfoundation.org. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Applied Biosystems, AmpFlSTR and Celera are registered trademarks and Applera and Yfiler are trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the US and/or certain other countries. TaqMan is a registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. Copyright (C) 2006 Applied Biosystems. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Applied Biosystems Genographic Project - Technology Backgrounder Specific technologies supplied by Applied Biosystems to support the Genographic Project include: 3100 and 3130xl Genetic Analyzers: The versatile, next-generation 3130 Series Systems, including the 3130xl, deliver higher quality genomic data, faster turnaround times, improved automation, and greater reliability across the complete range of sequencing, resequencing (mutational profiling), and fragment analysis applications. The 16-capillary 3130xl Genetic Analyzer and the upgradable 4-capillary 3130 Genetic Analyzer provide all the benefits of the Applied Biosystems suite of fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis (CE) systems. Both systems offer industry-leading performance, plus sophisticated automation capabilities that save time and increase productivity. GeneAmp(R) PCR PCR polymerase chain reaction. PCR abbr. polymerase chain reaction Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) System 9700: The tradition of quality and performance that began with Applied Biosystems' first TC1 thermal cycler in 1988 continues with the versatile, reliable GeneAmp(R) PCR System 9700. The GeneAmp(R) PCR System 9700 is specifically designed for the amplification of nucleic acids. The complete system consists of a base module and one of many interchangeable sample block modules. The 96-well GeneAmp(R) PCR System 9700 is designed for use with 0.2 ml reaction tubes or 96-well reaction plates for all routine PCR applications. 7300 Real-Time PCR System: The Applied Biosystems 7300 Real-Time PCR System is an integrated platform for the detection and quantification of nucleic acid nucleic acid, any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis. sequences. Real-time PCR combines thermal cycling, fluorescence detection, and application-specific software to measure the cycle-by-cycle accumulation of PCR products in a single-tube, homogeneous reaction. Real-time PCR runs are completed in less than two hours, and quantitative results are available immediately upon completion of PCR, with no need to run gels, purify PCR products, or perform any post-PCR manipulations. 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System: The Applied Biosystems 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System is the only real-time quantitative PCR system that combines 96- and 384-well plate compatibility and the TaqMan(R) Low Density Array with fully automated robotic loading. Acknowledged as the gold standard in real-time PCR, the 7900HT system combined with TaqMan(R) Genomic Assays enables unprecedented throughput and flexibility, allowing the pursuit of projects beyond the scope of previous real-time instruments. AmpFlSTR(R) Yfiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kits: The Applied Biosystems AmpFlSTR(R) Yfiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kit is an STR STR abbr. synchronous transmitter receiver assay that co-amplifies 17 Y-chromosome STRs in a single PCR reaction. The Yfiler kit has been developed for use with the ABI PRISM(R) 3100 Genetic Analyzers. Data generated from the Yfiler kit can be analyzed with Applied Biosystems software packages including GeneMapper(R) ID Software. GeneMapper(R) ID Software: GeneMapper ID Software v3.2 improves workflow by streamlining the transition between data collection and analysis. Built-in automated concordance concordance /con·cor·dance/ (-kord´ins) in genetics, the occurrence of a given trait in both members of a twin pair.concor´dant con·cor·dance n. checks for controls and markers common to various AmpFlSTR PCR amplification kits and measures data integrity before results are exported in a database-compatible format. |
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