Lynx, ISB, IBM Sign Agreement to Study Immune Cell Gene Expression
The Institute for Systems Biology, Lynx Therapeutics, and IBM will study immune-cell response to infectious diseases.
Lynx, in a study of macrophage inflammatory response to microbial infection, will use its Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology to profile gene expression in the immune cells.
IBM will provide the middleware for data management and analysis, including licenses to the DB2 Universal Database, the WebSphere studio, and IBM’s middleware tools and algorithms. Lynx will incorporate the IBM tools into its IT platform and include them in future sales of instruments.
Biolog Granted $250K SBIR Grant For Phenotype Microarray Platform
Biolog has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant of $250,000 from the National Cancer Institute for a project using its Phenotype MicroArray assay platform in toxicological cell-based assays.
The grant will support development of the technology for use with human and mouse cell lines. It is currently used with bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi.
According to Biolog, the technology can be used to determine the effect of genetic changes on cells and to determine the effect of drugs on cells.
Transgenomic, Geron Extend Oligo Manufacturing-Licensing Agreement
Transgenomic and Geron have expanded their non-exclusive oligonucleotide-manufacturing licensing agreement.
Transgenomic of Omaha, Neb., extends a license to manufacture phosphoramidate-based oligos based on the patented processes acquired in 2002 by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Geron from Lynx Therapeutics.
The company will pay undisclosed royalties on the sales of diagnostic and therapeutic products, as well as on those products for research use.
First Genetic Trust, Galileo to Create Large Canadian Founder-Population Database
First Genetic Trust and Galileo Genomics have joined forces to provide pharmacogenomics services to the biopharma industry.
Terms of the agreement call for Galileo, of Montreal, to provide data from patients in the Quebec founder populations. Galileo will also make available its high-throughput genotyping, bioinformatics, and statistical analysis capabilities.
First Genetic Trust will contribute its enTrust genetic banking platform, as well as the channels it has established for recruiting patients in the United States for large-scale studies to validate discoveries made in the founder populations.
The company, based in Chicago will also include its computational genomics capabilities, including its genetic pattern discovery and data mining tools.
Ocimum Biosolutions Licenses Software to Dow AgroSciences
Ocimum Biosolutions has sold to Dow AgroSciences the first two licenses to its OptGene gene-optimization software.
Ocimum, which has operations in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Hyderabad, India, said its OptGene platform enables researchers to design genes with optimized features for expression in an organism of choice.
Evolutionary Genomics Secures NSF SBIR Grant
Evolutionary Genomics has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation.
The company said it will use the grant to compare orthologous genes of humans and chimpanzees to find genes that protect chimpanzees from developing AIDS when infected with HIV.
Evolutionary Genomics, located in Fitzsimons Bioscience Park Center in Aurora, Colo., has developed a patented method for comparing genes of closely related species and identifying those responsible for adaptations. It applies this method both to human health care and agriculture.
Galapagos Genomics provides Drug Targets to Proctor & Gamble
Galapagos Genomics will provide Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals with protein drug targets related to osteoporosis. Proctor & Gamble will validate the targets and may eventually develop drug candidates based on these targets.
Galapagos, which used its gene-expression platform PhenoSelect to locate these targets, stands to receive option fees, milestone payments, and royalties on sales of any products developed from the targets.