CuraGen enables final phase of Human Genome Project.BRANFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 1996--CuraGen Corp. announced today its participation in the NIH's pilot projects to sequence 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. . These projects, announced last week by the NIH "Not invented here." See digispeak. NIH - The United States National Institutes of Health. , are part of the final $63 million dollar phase in the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. quest to decipher the human genome by the year 2003. The human genome sequence will serve as the foundation for pharmaceutical and biotechnology research in the 21st century. CuraGen's 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. machines and software will be at the heart of the Whitehead Institute Founded in 1982, the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research is a non-profit research and teaching institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Whitehead Institute was founded as a fiscally independent entity from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and its members for Biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. Research's $23 million effort to decipher the genome. Through this collaboration, Whitehead gains access to CuraGen's proprietary Niagara(TM) technology, placing Whitehead, as the largest federally funded genome center, in a strong position to meet its throughput and cost objectives. This goal is not achievable with commercially available sequencing devices. "We are thrilled to be chosen by Whitehead and the NIH to collaborate on this essential project, and appreciate the strong vote of confidence in our technology and vision," remarked Dr. Gregory T. Went, CuraGen's Senior Vice President and co-investigator with Dr. Eric Lander Eric Steven Lander (b. February 3, 1957) is a Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a member of the Whitehead Institute, and director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard who has devoted his career toward realizing the promise of the human of the Whitehead Institute. Dr. Trevor Hawkins, Director of Whitehead's Sequencing and Automation said, "We expect that the resulting integrated system will enable our high-throughput DNA sequencing DNA sequencing The determination of the sequence of nucleotides in a sample of DNA. facility to meet the demands of sequencing the human genome." Developed under NIH funding, CuraGen's Niagara(TM) system has achieved routine operation at speeds in excess of 10 times that of commercially available systems, with comparative cost savings. In full production mode, these instruments will determine the precise composition of human genetic information at the rate of 20 million bases of raw sequence a day. CuraGen's instrumentation enables, in addition to DNA sequences, all major DNA analysis techniques necessary for disease gene discovery, such as genotyping and gene expression analysis. This flexibility is made possible through a unique combination of advanced imaging technology, microfabricated channels, and adaptive pattern recognition software. CuraGen Corp., a leading genomic biotechnology firm, has developed a new generation of tools to aid the rapid discovery of disease-specific genes for pharmaceutical development. CuraGen's full-service genomics program uses proprietary informatics, workflow, and instrumentation to integrate expression analysis, positional cloning, and large-scale sequencing efforts. The company is leveraging its participation in the human genome project to enable large-scale genomic assaults on disease, and the coordination of these efforts over the Internet through its GeneScape(TM) system. Current collaborators include, in addition to MIT's Whitehead Institute, Yale's Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cornell's National Nanofabrication nan·o·fab·ri·ca·tion n. Any technique used to create objects or mechanisms on the scale of nanotechnology. Facility, Soane Biosciences, and Wyeth-Ayerst Research, a division of American Home Products. CONTACT: CuraGen Corp., Branford Gregory T. Went, Senior Vice President 203/481-1104, Ext. 231 |
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