Biolog Awarded NIH STTR Grant with Johns Hopkins University to Develop Phenotype MicroArray Technology to Study Yeast Genome.

HAYWARD, Calif. -- Biolog, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a STTR grant from the National Institutes of Health to collaborate with scientists at the new High Throughput Biology Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. It is the third grant from NIH awarded to Biolog this month related to its new Phenotype MicroArray(TM) (PM) technology. This is a reflection of the acceptance of and interest in this powerful technology. In all, Biolog has now announced approximately $7 million in SBIR and STTR funding from NIH and NASA related to PM technology. The grant will be to use Biolog's innovative Phenotype MicroArray technology to study gene function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as 'brewer's yeast.'

This grant will fund the first steps in high content phenotyping of the yeast genome. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for thousands of years in baking, brewing, and agriculture. It has become one of the most important model cell lines used by scientific researchers because it has superior genetic tools available and it shares many genes in common with mammalian cells. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also one of the common models in Systems Biology laboratories worldwide. Results from this work will add to the expanding capability and data provided by the PM technology for testing microbial cells, specifically bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi.

Phenotype MicroArrays represent a fundamental platform technology that allows scientists to easily and efficiently test hundreds to thousands of cellular traits simultaneously. The technology has the promise of determining cellular phenotypic expression in many areas of research and development. The two most important near term applications are using PMs to determine the effect of genetic changes on cells and to determine the effect of drugs on cells.

Biolog, Inc. enables a systematic approach to cellular studies by providing assays, fully automated instrumentation, and software to generate kinetic phenotypic response data from the cell lines being analyzed.

Biolog, a privately held company based in Hayward, Calif., is a pioneer in the development of powerful new cell analysis tools for solving critical problems in clinical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology research and development. The company's Phenotype MicroArray(TM) technology and OmniLog(R) PM System can be used in the discovery and development of new drugs as well as bioactive agents for animal and plant applications. Further information can be obtained at the company's website, www.biolog.com.