Dyadic Partners With Agencourt To Sequence Key Fungal Genome
To date, Dyadic scientists have characterized approximately thirty C1 genes. With this sequencing project, they expect to identify up to 12,000 genes in the C1 genome, including novel genes for potential new protein and enzyme products. The sequence is also expected to serve to further optimize the C1 Host Technology's efficiency, yield and versatility for discovering, developing and producing novel protein and enzyme products faster and less expensively.
Agencourt will use its experience as an NHGRI designated Large Scale Sequencing Center and commercial provider of sequencing services to conduct all phases of sequencing the C1 genome including construction of multiple libraries, high throughput sequencing, assembly, and finishing. Key to the sequencing initiative is Agencourt's fully-automated sequencing pipeline and custom designed LIMS which have the capacity to run more than 70,000 reads per day. Agencourt has taken part in the sequencing of numerous genomes such as the rat, mouse, dog, human and fruit fly as part of the NHGRI sequencing initiative as well as numerous bacterial, fungal and mammalian genomes for commercial partners.
Based on it's C1 Host Technology, Dyadic's C1 Screening System and Expression System are being developed for use as an integrated platform to rapidly screen and express genes, and to manufacture novel gene products in large-scale fermentors. Dyadic expects that the ability to use a single, fungal host organism for all steps of the discovery to manufacturing process will eliminate many of the bottlenecks inherent in other technologies currently used to bring gene products, including therapeutic proteins, to market. To date, Dyadic has successfully applied its C1 Expression System to develop and bring to market two new industrial enzyme products, and has others in various stages of development.
"There are only a few select sequencing providers that have the expertise and capacity to undertake the sequencing of such a large and complex genome," said Richard Burlingame, Executive Director, R&D, Dyadic. "We were impressed by Agencourt's level of experience with large sequencing projects, their data management systems and dedication to quality. We look forward to applying this information to make the C1 Host Technology more powerful and to bring new products to the market."
"We are pleased that Dyadic has recognized us as the partner of choice for this sequencing project. The knowledge that our work will have the ability to directly affect people's lives is very rewarding," commented Brian McKernan, President and CEO, Agencourt Bioscience. "In this case, improvements in the C1 technology are expected to result in more environmentally-friendly and functionally-superior industrial products and processes as well as potential new treatments for human diseases."