Oct 27 2008, 7:30 AM EST
News source: Business Wire
As part of its commitment to promote basic research in the life
sciences, Applied Biosystems Inc. (NYSE:ABI) today announced the
creation of a grant program for genomic, epigenomic and transcriptome
studies. The $10K Genome Grant Program is based on the concept of
sequencing an entire genome for $10,000. Applied Biosystems is
launching this program to inspire new genomic sequencing studies on
next-generation sequencing technology. By extending the SOLiD(TM)
System into other critical applications, such as RNA and epigenetic
analysis, researchers will be able to advance the use of genomic data
for clinical research and personalized medicine. Grant submissions are
due by December 31, 2008. Results will be announced in February 2009.
Applied Biosystems recently announced the development of its SOLiD
3 System, which is the only commercially available platform in the
life science industry to provide a path to a $10,000 genome. This new
ultra-high- throughput genomic sequencing platform includes
significant productivity enhancements and cost-reduction, enabling
researchers to dramatically drive down the cost of genomic sequencing
projects for all organisms. The $10K Genome Grant Program, as well as
the new SOLiD 3 System, will be introduced through an Applied
Biosystems SOLiD Roadshow which began last week, and will travel
through 19 cities throughout the United States and Europe.
The grant program will award the first-place winner up to 60
gigabases or 750 million tags of sequencing data to an individual
representing an academic institution or laboratory. Applied Biosystems
will perform all sequencing, primary data generation, and analysis
using the SOLiD 3 System. Ten second-place winners will be selected
with each being awarded one (2-slide) run, which will be conducted on
a SOLiD 3 platform by either Applied Biosystems or a member of the
SOLiD System Service Provider Program, such as SeqWright DNA
Technology Services (www.seqwright.com), or other global members to be
determined.
Grant program entries will be reviewed by a panel of renowned
scientists and industry thought leaders. This distinguished panel
includes:
-- Sean Grimmond, Ph.D., group leader in the genomics and
computational group at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience
at the University of Queensland
-- Yoshihide Hayashizaki M.D., Ph.D, director of the Omics
Science Center at the Institute for Physical and Chemical
Research (RIKEN)
-- John McPherson, Ph.D., cancer genomics director at the Ontario
Institute of Cancer Research
-- Stanley F. Nelson, M.D., professor and vice-chair of human
genetics and professor of psychiatry within the David Geffen
School of Medicine at the University of California at Los
Angeles (UCLA)
-- Stefan Schreiber, M.D., professor of medicine and
gastroenterology at the Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel
-- Chung-I Wu, Ph.D., professor in the department of ecology and
evolution at the University of Chicago and the director of
Beijing Institute of Genomics
-- Francisco de la Vega, Ph.D., distinguished scientific fellow
and vice president of SOLiD Applications and Bioinformatics at
Applied Biosystems
-- Kevin McKernan, senior director of SOLiD scientific operations
at Applied Biosystems
-- Michael Rhodes, Ph.D., $10K Genome Grant Program chairman and
senior manager of SOLiD product applications at Applied
Biosystems
-- Bob Setterquist, Ph.D., director, scientific operations
transcriptome analysis at Applied Biosystems
High-throughput genomic technology, such as the SOLiD 3 System, is
expected to allow clinical researchers to find new and better ways to
understand, detect, control and treat illness. Scientific visionaries,
such as Dr. Schreiber, are using the SOLiD technology to find answers
to difficult scientific and health questions. His clinical research
interests include chronic inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's
disease, ulcerative colitis, as well as human healthy aging. Recently,
he and his team used Applied Biosystems technologies to identify
several disease genes for complex inflammatory disorders. These
include ATG16L1, a gene coding for a variant protein that leads to a
defect in autophagy in Crohn's disease, and ANXA11, a disease gene in
srcoidosis probably involved in T cell-apoptosis. The results of his
team's work resulted in the first systemic genome wide association
scan in ulcerative colitis. At the Institute of Clinical Molecular
Biology at Christian-Albrechts University, he is also responsible for
designing and organizing clinical trials of novel drugs for
inflammatory bowel disease and the functional disorders of the
gastrointestinal tract.
"The technical enhancements made to the SOLiD 3 System are
integral to enabling a path for molecular epidemiology studies, and to
accelerate the knowledge provided by genome-wide association studies
to a full understanding of sequence based risk factors," said Dr.
Schreiber. "The power of Applied Biosystems' $10,000 genome sequencing
technology will promote a paradigm shift in our approach to
comparative sequence analysis for complex disease research. By
lowering the cost of sequencing, researchers will be afforded more
opportunities to explore the role of rare genetic variations and
examine how they contribute to common ailments."
Another thought leader who is part of the $10K Grant Program
judging panel is Dr. Nelson whose Nelson Lab at UCLA uses genomic
approaches to further the study of cancers, including glioblastoma,
which is the most common and lethal form of primary brain cancer. His
research team is using large-scale gene expression analysis,
alternative splicing analysis, chromosomal loss information, and now
whole-genome sequence data to paint refined portraits of the
mutational landscape of individual brain cancers. The researchers are
also developing bioinformatic approaches to use this information to
identify and prioritize novel therapeutic targets.
"Dramatically lowering the cost of whole genome sequencing permits
the investigation of many more genomes than were previously possible,"
said Dr. Nelson. "This will ultimately allow scientists to identify
individual genes that are frequent mutational targets in the process
of cancer formation. The human genome community is poised to sequence
thousands of genomes that are necessary to get a clearer picture of
sequence variation and haplotype structure in human populations that
are the underpinnings of identifying allele associations with all
human diseases."
Researchers interested in the $10K Genome Grant Program are
encouraged to submit a proposal that includes a statement of the
underlying project goals, the type and status of the project samples,
and availability of bioinformatics resources. For more detailed
information about the grant program, please visit
http://info.appliedbiosystems.com/SOLiD10K For additional information
about the SOLiD Roadshows, please visit
http://info.appliedbiosystems.com/SOLID2008
About the SOLiD 3 System
The SOLiD 3 System is the life science industry's most
comprehensive solution from sample to results. The platform is based
on sequencing by oligonucleotide ligation and detection. Unlike
polymerase sequencing approaches, the platform utilizes a proprietary
technology called stepwise ligation, which generates the industry's
most cost-effective and accurate mappable sequence data for a variety
of applications including whole genome sequencing and targeted
resequencing, transcriptome analysis, small RNA discovery, gene
expression profiling, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), microbial
and eukaryotic resequencing, digital karyotyping, medical sequencing,
and genotyping, among others. The SOLiD 3 System is capable of
generating 20 billion bases of mappable sequence data per run in
customer laboratories, and has demonstrated runs of greater than 25
billion bases of mappable sequence data at Applied Biosystems'
research and development facilities.
With unsurpassed sensitivity, the SOLiD 3 System allows
researchers to adopt a systems-biology approach to studying simple and
complex organisms. Systems biology is the study of an organism, viewed
as an integrated and interacting network of genes, proteins and
biochemical reactions. On a single platform, researchers can use a
global, hypothesis-neutral approach to survey the contents of genomes,
transcriptomes, and epigenomes, or the collection of chemical
modifications to DNA. The superior accuracy of the system, greater
than 99.94% with 2-base encoding, provides researchers performing
studies of genetic variation with the highest data quality compared to
other sequencing platforms.
The SOLiD 3 System is supported by one of the life-science
industry's most comprehensive service and support organization of more
than 2,000 dedicated field personnel worldwide, specializing in
business consulting and protocol development, instrument optimization,
and data and application integration. The SOLiD 3 System is available
as an upgrade to an existing platform, or as a stand-alone instrument.
It is expected to be globally available in early 2009. Further
information about the SOLiD 3 System is available at
http://solid.appliedbiosystems.com.
About Applied Biosystems Inc.
Applied Biosystems Inc. (formerly known as Applera Corporation)
develops and markets instrument-based systems, consumables, software,
and services for academic research, the life science industry and
commercial markets. Driven by its employees' belief in the power of
science to improve the human condition, the company commercializes
innovative technology solutions for DNA, RNA, protein and small
molecule analysis. Customers across the disciplines of academic and
clinical research, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, forensic
DNA analysis, and agricultural biotechnology use the company's tools
and services to accelerate scientific discovery, improve processes
related to drug discovery and development, detect potentially
pathogenic microorganisms, and identify individuals based on DNA
sources. Applied Biosystems has a comprehensive service and field
applications support team for a global installed base of
high-performance genetic and protein analysis solutions. Applied
Biosystems Inc. is headquartered in Norwalk, CT. On June 12, 2008,
Applera Corporation and Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ: IVGN)
announced that their Boards of Directors had approved a definitive
merger agreement under which Invitrogen will acquire all of the
outstanding shares of Applied Biosystems stock. The merger is subject
to customary closing conditions and is currently expected to close in
mid-November 2008. Further information regarding the merger has been
provided in a joint proxy statement/prospectus and supplement mailed
to stockholders of the company and Invitrogen. Investors and security
holders are urged to read these documents because they contain
important information. Information about Applied Biosystems, including
reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, is available at
http://www.appliedbiosystems.com. All information in this news release
is as of the date of the release, and Applied Biosystems does not
undertake any duty to update this information unless required by law.
Applied Biosystems Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking.
These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases
such as "should, "planned," and "expect," among others. These
forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations. The
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with
the terms of the safe harbor, we note that a variety of factors could
cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the
anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such
forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited
to: (1) rapidly changing technology and dependence on customer
acceptance of the SOLiD System; (2) the risk of unanticipated
difficulties associated with the further development of the SOLiD(TM)
System; and (3) other factors that might be described from time to
time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
(C)Copyright 2008. Applied Biosystems Inc. All rights reserved.
Applied Biosystems, and AB (Design) are registered trademarks and
SOLiD is a trademark of Applied Biosystems Inc. or its subsidiaries in
the U.S. and/or certain other countries.
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