Base4 Bioinformatics signs agreements with Canada's National Research Council and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto.TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1996--ALLELIX (TSE See Tokyo Stock Exchange. TSE 1. See Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). 2. See Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE). , ME:AXB) Base4 Bioinformatics Inc., a newly formed subsidiary of Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., announced today that it has established scientific partnerships with two highly-regarded research groups, the Government of Canada's National Research Council and the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Ontario, Canada was established in 1985 by an endowment from the Lunenfeld and Kunin families. It comprises 31 principal investigators, has a budget of C$90 million (2005/6), has 225 trainees and over 550 of Mount Sinai Hospital Mount Sinai Hospital can refer to:
Base4 uses advanced computer methods to analyse the wealth of new information on the role of genes in normal health and disease. This information will lead to new approaches and products to treat diseases. Base4 is the first dedicated bioinformatics company in Canada. Dr. Martin Sumner Smith, President of Base4 Bioinformatics Inc. said, "Traditional methods used to understand human disease and develop effective pharmaceuticals are no longer effective in dealing with the huge amounts of data being generated, especially by 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. Sequencing Project. To be competitive, medical researchers need access to a dedicated team of bioinformaticians such as that being built at Base4. These two agreements launch the first phase of our strategy to develop effective collaborations with medical researchers." Base4 To Operate National Research Council Database Service Base4 has been selected by Canada's National Research Council (NRC NRC abbr. 1. National Research Council 2. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Noun 1. NRC - an independent federal agency created in 1974 to license and regulate nuclear power plants ) to provide its computer database service for biological researchers. The Molecular Biology molecular biology, scientific study of the molecular basis of life processes, including cellular respiration, excretion, and reproduction. The term molecular biology was coined in 1938 by Warren Weaver, then director of the natural sciences program at the Rockefeller Database Service (MBDS MBDS Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance (Thailand) ) was established in 1988 by the NRC's Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI CISTI Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information CISTI Civil Space Technology Initiative CISTI Canadian Institute of Telecommunications Engineers ) and is used extensively by Canadian and international researchers. Ms. Margot Montgomery, Director General of CISTI, stated that, "We were impressed with Base4's innovative approaches to scientific collaboration and their awareness of the needs of Canadian biotechnology researchers." Base4 will upgrade MBDS to make it accessible over the World Wide Web of the Internet. A premium service package using advanced data security methods is being developed for those pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that to-date have avoided web-based services because of concerns about the security of confidential data. Base4 - A "Distributed" Company, Announces Collaboration with Mount Sinai Hospital Base4 operates under an innovative, distributive structure geared to maximising its high powered bioinformatics technology by creating multiple "nodes" of operation. Base4 staff will work at leading medical research institutes, providing services and collaborating with researchers at those institutes. Mount Sinai Hospital of Toronto and Base4 announced today that the first node will be located at the hospital's Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto. The Institute, affiliated with the University of Toronto Research at the University of Toronto has been responsible for the world's first electronic heart pacemaker, artificial larynx, single-lung transplant, nerve transplant, artificial pancreas, chemical laser, G-suit, the first practical electron microscope, the first cloning of T-cells, , is widely recognised as one of Canada's premier research facilities, focusing on molecular biology and the genetic basis of disease. Base4 bioinformaticians will work at the Institute. In addition, Base4 will assist in the recruitment of a leading bioinformatics researcher to the Institute's staff. Mount Sinai's Director of Research, Dr. Alan Bernstein, commented, "This partnership is an important element in establishing the Institute's new Centre for Human Genome Research and Molecular Medicine. The Centre was built with funding from the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure Works Program provided by the Government of Canada The Government of Canada is the federal government of Canada. The powers and structure of the federal government are set out in the Constitution of Canada. In modern Canadian use, the term "government" (or "federal government") refers broadly to the cabinet of the day and , the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto and the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto." Dr. Bernstein noted, "Bioinformatics, the application of computer and information technology to the search for new genes and their role in health and disease, has become an essential approach to understanding the human genome - the collection of approximately 150,000 genes that govern who we are and our predisposition to specific diseases." Chief Technical Officer Recruited Base4 also announced it has recruited Dr. Alan Hillyard as Chief Technical Officer of the Company. Dr. Hillyard has an extensive background in bioinformatics and pioneered the development of one of the first genetic databases during his tenure at The Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, Maine Bar Harbor, Maine, may refer to:
Base4 applies advanced computer methods to capture commercial opportunities arising from the international efforts to sequence all human genes. Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company discovering and developing innovative pharmaceutical products that are commercialised in partnership with established international pharmaceutical companies. Allelix products in clinical trials include ALX ALX Alexandria (Egyptian automobile license plate) ALX America's Learning Exchange ALX Alienware Luxury Experience (Alienware Corp. 1-11, recombinant human parathyroid hormone parathyroid hormone or parathormone, a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands that regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphate in the body. , in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of osteoporosis, and ALX40-4C in Phase I/II trials for the treatment of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and Cytomegalovirus infections. Website for a background on Base4 - http://www.BaseFour.com Background information on bioinformatics - http://www.BaseFour.com/what_is.html CONTACT: Base4 Bioinformatics Inc. Martin Sumner-Smith, 905/677-0831 x302 905/677-9595 (Fax) Email: info@BaseFour.com or Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information Ferrers R.S. Clark, 613/993-3269 613/952-8246 (Fax) Email: ferrers.clark@nrc.ca or Mount Sinai Hospital Jodi MacPherson, 416/586-5065 416/586-8555 (Fax) or Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Jerry Ormiston, 905/677-0831 x223 905/677-1037 (Fax) Email: jormis@ftn.net |
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