Helicos BioSciences Announces First ''Early Access'' Partnership with Institute for Systems Biology.CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Helicos BioSciences, a pioneer in high-speed, high-sensitivity sequencing, today announced a new partnership with the Institute for Systems Biology The Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is a non-profit research institution, located in Seattle, Washington, United States. Leroy Hood co-founded the Institute with Alan Aderem and Ruedi Aebersold in 2000. (ISB) as the company's first "Early Access" program research collaborator. The ISB is an internationally renowned non-profit research institute dedicated to the study and application of systems biology Systems biology, a field of study in the biosciences, focuses on the systematic study of complex interactions in biological systems. Particularly from 2000 onwards, the term is used widely in the biosciences, and in a variety of contexts. . The partnership will allow the ISB access to Helicos' True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS(TM)) technology and protocols for use in its scientifically groundbreaking research projects. The tSMS(TM) technology enables researchers to rapidly and accurately sequence individual molecules of 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. 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 and promises to provide both maximum efficiency and cost-savings. "The Institute for Systems Biology is very excited to begin applying the capabilities of true single molecule sequencing technology in the area of cancer research. The tSMS(TM) technology will allow us to address questions in the field of oncology that have, up until this point, remained elusive," said Leroy Hood Leroy Hood is an American biologist. He won the 2003 Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing "four instruments that have unlocked much of the mystery of human biology" by helping decode the genome. , president and co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology. "Helicos is pleased to have the prestigious Institute for Systems Biology as a research partner in the 'Early Access' program," said Stanley N. Lapidus, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Helicos BioSciences. "While the promise of single molecule sequencing has drawn research attention and investment for almost two decades, we are finally at the point where its promise can begin to be realized. As pioneers in DNA and RNA sequencing and detection, Dr. Hood and his group represent an auspicious initial collaboration for our program, and for the application of tSMS(TM) in general. We look forward to a growing number of future partnerships with leading researchers worldwide." About tSMS(TM) tSMS(TM) is a technique that enables researchers to rapidly and accurately sequence individual molecules of DNA and RNA. This allows direct interrogation interrogation In criminal law, process of formally and systematically questioning a suspect in order to elicit incriminating responses. The process is largely outside the governance of law, though in the U.S. of the single molecule as opposed to an amplified population of molecules. tSMS(TM) holds enormous potential for elucidating the gamut of genetic aberrations in oncology, through the ability to serve as a universal detection system across a wide variety of applications for both DNA and RNA. An example of some of the applications tSMS(TM) will enable are whole tumor resequencing, quantitative transcriptional profiling, genome wide methylation methylation, n a phase-II detoxification pathway in the liver; methyl groups combine with toxins to rid the body of various substances. methylation (meth´ studies, and candidate gene resequencing. The advantages of tSMS(TM) over amplified molecule sequencing include: no PCR PCR polymerase chain reaction. PCR abbr. polymerase chain reaction Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bias, no errors introduced by amplification, and no dephasing issues commonly present in amplified molecule sequencing. In addition, tSMS(TM) promises the highest possible throughput and enables reagent cost savings on the order of 1,000 times less than Sanger sequencing. About the Institute for Systems Biology The Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is an internationally renowned non-profit research institute dedicated to the study and application of systems biology. ISB's goal is to unravel the mysteries of human biology Human biology is an interdisciplinary academic field of biology, biological anthropology, and medicine which focuses on humans; it is closely related to primate biology, and a number of other fields. and identify strategies for predicting and preventing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and AIDS. The driving force behind the innovative "systems" approach is the integration of biology, computation, and technology. This approach allows scientists to analyze all of the elements in a system rather than one gene or protein at a time. Located in Seattle, Washington  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. , the Institute has grown to 11 faculty and more than 170 staff members; an annual budget of more than $25 million; and an extensive network of academic and industrial partners. For more information about the ISB visit: www.systemsbiology.org About Helicos BioSciences Helicos BioSciences Corporation began operations in February 2004, after raising $27 million from a top-tier investment consortium. Helicos is developing instruments and reagents for the high-speed sequencing of DNA and RNA with the highest possible sensitivity. The Helicos technology, based on pioneering research of Dr. Stephen Quake of Stanford University, is covered by a broad portfolio of granted and filed patents. The company commenced early access collaborations in 2006 to generate groundbreaking scientific publications and start creating revenue, while planning to launch its first commercial systems in 2007. For more information, please visit our web site at www.helicosbio.com. |
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