Amersham Pharmacia Biotech expands genomics research facilities

<%=company1%> (Uppsala, Sweden), a provider of equipment and supplies for genomics and medical research, has opened new genomics research facilities at the Sunnyvale, California headquarters of its Amersham Pharmacia Biotech subsidiary. The $5.8 million project nearly doubled the size of the Sunnyvale facilities, and will create some 200 new jobs, mostly in research and development.

The new facilities will be home to continued research in the company's DNA sequencing and microarray technologies and programs. The site houses a high-throughput DNA sequencing operation that mirrors facilities typical of private genomics companies and academic research institutions, allowing the company to test newly developed sequencing technologies.

The facility also will support Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's academic-biotech collaborations in the fields of ecology and conservation, two areas that have not fully benefited from the advances made in genetic research. For example, the company recently joined with the Zoological Society of San Diego to sequence mitochondrial DNA from endangered species to learn more about the evolution of mammals and eventually develop better captive breeding techniques. In addition, it is working with researchers from the University of Delaware to sequence DNA from deep sea microbes that live in extreme conditions, a project that could potentially unlock new ways to clean up oil spills and develop new products that can withstand high temperatures.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech provides technologies to discover, develop, and deliver therapies faster and more cost-effectively. Its technologies are used to uncover the structure and function of genes and proteins, screen molecules to discover potential new drugs, and purify medical products such as insulin and blood plasma.

For more information, contact Marcy Saack of Amersham Pharmacia Biotech at 732-457-8056 or marcy.saack@am.apbiotech.com.

Edited by Jim Pomager