Sequencing and Analysis of the Hydra Genome
Chapman, Kirkness et al., Nature
An international research collaboration reports their sequencing and analysis of the Hydra magnipapillata genome, and compare it to the genomes of several other organisms. "The Hydra genome has been shaped by bursts of transposable element expansion, horizontal gene transfer, trans-splicing, and simplification of gene structure and gene content that parallel simplification of the Hydra life cycle," the authors write. They team suggests that comparisons of the Hydra genome to the reported sequences of other animals have helped them to elucidate the evolution of several of the organism's characteristics.
Platypus Lands $100K SBIR Grant
December 16, 2009
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Platypus Technologies will use a $100,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop its cell motility products for use in high-throughput screening applications, the firm said on Tuesday.
The one-year Small Business Innovation Research grant will support an expansion of and modifications to the current Oris 96-well cell migration assay in order to make it compatible with automated liquid handling and high content imaging systems.
Platypus Program Manager Renee Herber said in a statement that the advancements "will dramatically improve testing throughput and efficiency, while reducing the cost per assay for researchers."
The Madison, Wis.-based firm said that it has received a total of more than $18 million in NIH support to date, and that it is currently developing technology using liquid crystals for the rapid and low-cost detection of molecular interactions.
