Amersham Pharmacia Biotech Awarded Grant to Develop DNA Sequencing Technologies
Amersham Pharmacia Biotech will work in partnership with researchers from Northeastern University (Boston) and Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis) to develop the next generation of robust, high-throughput DNA sequencers for use in genomics laboratories. Amersham Pharmacia Biotech in 1998 introduced the MegaBACE 1000 DNA sequencer, the first multiple-capillary sequencer to reach the market and offer researchers an alternative to slab gel sequencing.
In addition to increasing the number of capillaries in the system to 384, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech will collaborate with Barry Karger's laboratory at Northeastern to implement their replaceable matrices and basecalling software that demonstrate read lengths up to 1,300 bases. Karger stated, "The advances in sequencing and genomics made at the Institute are perfectly suited for this partnership with Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and to the Human Genome Project. I am very excited that through this team effort, our work will become widely available to the genomics community." The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which is one five public genomics centers participating in the Human Genome Project, will help evaluate the prototypes developed through the program.
The National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the international sponsors of the Human Genome Project, the public consortium that is deciphering the DNA of humans and related model organisms. The NHGRI also works to support the improvement of current, and development of novel, DNA sequencing technologies.
Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, owned 55% by Nycomed Amersham plc and 45% by Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc., is an international market leader in most of its markets. Its innovative systems are used to sequence genes, uncover the structure and function of genes and proteins, separate biomolecules, screen potential drugs, and manufacture biopharmaceuticals.
The Barnett Institute of Chemical Analysis and Materials Science at Northeastern University, established in 1973, is an internationally recognized center for cutting edge research and advanced training in analytical chemistry, biotechnology and the synthesis and characterization of advanced materials. With more than 70 members and a $6 million endowment, the institute maintains strong ties with the medical community and other industries. Through an active licensing program, the institute also develops practical applications for research advances that have led to more than 50 patents and 700 published papers.
For more information: Amersham Pharmacia Biotech Ltd., SE-751 84, Uppsala, Sweden. Tel: +46-1816-5000. Fax: +46-1816-6458.