National Institutes of Health Extends Contract With Agencourt Bioscience for Genomic Services.

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Agencourt Chosen to Continue DNA Sequencing for the Mammalian Gene Collection and Cancer Genome Anatomy Projects

Agencourt Bioscience Corporation, a provider of genomic services and nucleic acid purification products to the life sciences industry, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewed its contract with Agencourt for genomic sequencing services. Under the two year contract, Agencourt will continue to provide ESTs (expressed sequence tags) and SAGE(TM) (serial analysis of gene expression) sequencing for two major NIH initiatives, the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC) project and the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP).

The goal of the MGC project, a trans-NIH initiative co-managed by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is to identify and sequence representative full open reading frame (ORF) cDNA clones for all human and mouse genes, as well as a subset of rat genes. Agencourt has sequenced over 1.3 million cDNA ESTs, which are being used to aid in the identification of candidate full-ORF cDNAs. Agencourt will continue to sequence cDNA tags for the MGC project and make all results publicly accessible to facilitate essential biomedical research.

The primary goals of CGAP, a program supported by NCI, are mapping, evaluating and sequencing the genes of cells at various stages of cancer growth. This research program provides scientists with sequence data to aid in the understanding of the molecular anatomy of cancer cells, thus improving the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Agencourt is responsible for sequencing CGAP's SAGE libraries, an experimental technique to quantify all expressed genes within cells. All resources generated by the project are publicly accessible and intended to accelerate the fight against cancer.

"Agencourt looks forward to a continued collaboration with the NIH on these important sequencing projects," said Brian McKernan, President and CEO of Agencourt Bioscience. "We have made great strides by developing key DNA libraries to help in future cancer research, and are confident that these projects will help accelerate the process of identifying and eradicating various cancers much earlier than ever before possible."

About National Cancer Institute (NCI)

The National Cancer Institute is the nation's principal federal agency for cancer research. Its mission is to stimulate and support scientific discovery and its application to achieve a future when all cancers are uncommon and easily treated. For more information, please visit www.cancer.gov.

About the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

The mission of the National Human Genome Research Institute is to support the development of resources and technology that will accelerate genome research and its application to human health. For more information, please visit www.genome.gov.

About National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Begun as a one-room Laboratory of Hygiene in 1887, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today is one of the world's foremost medical research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the U.S. Under the authority of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH's mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better public health. NIH works toward that mission by conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and, fostering communication of medical information. Comprised of 27 separate components, mainly Institutes and Centers focused on specific areas of medical research, NIH has 75 buildings on more than 300 acres in Bethesda, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.nih.gov.

About Agencourt Bioscience Corporation

Agencourt Bioscience Corporation is a leading provider of genomic services and nucleic acid purification products in the life sciences market. Our products and services support the advancement of science in understanding biology, improving health and delivering safe and effective treatments for disease.

Agencourt's purification products and services are based on the proven and patented Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization (SPRI(R)) technology, which has been adopted by several of the largest genome research facilities and used to sequence over one-third of the human genome. Agencourt is one of five NHGRI-funded Large-Scale Sequencing Centers whose goal is to sequence genomes of organisms of high biomedical importance. The company's state-of-the-art facilities are guided by the FDA's Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) as a contract analytical laboratory. Agencourt is located in Beverly, Massachusetts. For more information on our company, products and services we invite you to visit our website at www.agencourt.com.