BRANFORD, Conn., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CuraGen Corporation’s majority-owned subsidiary 454 Life Sciences Corporation has been named by Scientific American magazine as one of this year’s “Scientific American 50,” the noted magazine’s annual list that recognizes people, teams and organizations whose recent accomplishments, whether in research, business or policymaking, demonstrate leadership in shaping both established and emerging technologies.
The Scientific American 50 will appear in the magazine’s December issue, arriving on newsstands November 21. The complete list may also be accessed on the magazine’s Web site at http://www.sciam.com.
“The Scientific American 50 pays tribute to individuals and organizations who, through their efforts in research, business and policy-making, are driving advances in science and technology that lay the groundwork for a better future. Not only does our list honor these prime movers -- it shines a spotlight on the critical fields that are benefiting from their achievements,” said Editor-in-chief John Rennie.
Selected by the magazine’s Board of Editors with the help of distinguished outside advisors, the Scientific American 50 spotlights a Research Leader of the Year, a Business Leader of the Year and a Policy Leader of the Year. The list also recognizes research, business and policy leaders who have played a critical role in driving key science and technology trends over the last year in a variety of fields, including robotics, genetics, Alzheimer’s research, nanotechnology and more.
454 Life Sciences has been named a leader for its business contributions to the development of DNA sequencing technology, which have made large-scale scientific projects feasible and more affordable.
454 Life Sciences’ Genome Sequencer 20(TM) System enables one individual to prepare and sequence an entire genome, irrespective of the size of the genome being studied. The hallmarks of 454 Sequencing(TM) technology are its simple, unbiased sample preparation and massively parallel sequencing on the proprietary PicoTiterPlate(TM). A single instrument, using patented light emitting sequencing chemistries, produces over 20 million nucleotide bases per five-hour run, which is 60 times faster than conventional, commercially available instruments using the current macro-scale technology.
To date, the Genome Sequencer 20 System has been used by scientists from laboratories in academic, government and private industry sectors, providing researchers with a technology that is robust enough for new research applications, such as the detection of rare cancer-associated genetic variations at the molecular level to potentially enable the personalization of targeted therapies and sequencing ancient DNA from fossils to enable mapping the genome of species, such as the Wooly Mammoth and Neandertal.
“We are honored to be named as a business leader of the Scientific American 50,” said Christopher McLeod, President and CEO of 454 Life Sciences. “It is very gratifying to have 454 Life Sciences recognized as a significant contributor to the field of DNA sequencing technology. Our company is committed to innovation, and our next generation Genome Sequencer FLX, which we expect will be commercially available during the first half of 2007, is designed for even greater performance and cost-efficiencies. By striving to make our technology more powerful, efficient and affordable, we continue to attract new customers, identify new applications for our technology, and gain further recognition from academia, the scientific and business communities.”
Past Scientific American 50 lists have spotlighted visionaries from an array of fields. Prior honorees have included:
* Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who shared the title of 2005 Business Leader of the Year; * noted stem cell researcher Douglas A. Melton, professor of the national sciences at Harvard, 2004 Policy Leader of the Year; * Nobel prize-winning neurobiologist Roderick MacKinnon, professor of molecular neurobiology and biophysics of Rockefeller University, 2003 Research Leader of the Year; * aviation leader Burt Rutan, president, Scaled Composites, 2003 Aerospace/Business Leader; * global public health leader Gro Harlem Brundtland, former World Health Organization Secretary General, 2003 Policy Leader of the Year; * corporate chief Jeffrey Immelt, chairman and CEO, General Electric Company, 2002 General Technology/Business Leader; and * high tech innovator Steven Jobs, Apple CEO, 2002 Communications/Business Leader. Other 2006 recipients include Al Gore and Warren Buffet.
Founded in 1845, editorial contributors to Scientific American have included more than 100 Nobel laureates, among them Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Francis Crick, Stanley Prusiner and Harold Varmus. Scientific American Inc. is a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, a U.S. subsidiary of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH, a privately held international media corporation operating in more than 40 countries. In addition to Scientific American, Holtzbrinck Publishers includes the book publishing houses Farrar, Straus & Giroux; W.H. Freeman; Henry Holt and Company; St. Martin’s Press and Tor; the academic scholarly publishing company Palgrave U.S.; the College Publishing Group of Bedford Freeman Worth; and the distribution company VHPS.
About 454 Life Sciences
454 Life Sciences, established in 2000 as a majority-owned subsidiary of CuraGen Corporation , develops and commercializes novel instrumentation for high-throughput nucleotide sequencing, with specific application to whole-genome sequencing and ultra-deep sequencing of target genes. The hallmarks of 454 Sequencing(TM) are its simple, unbiased sample preparation and massively parallel sequencing, which makes large-scale scientific projects feasible and more affordable. The Genome Sequencer 20(TM) System enables one individual to prepare and sequence an entire genome, regardless of size. A single instrument using patented light emitting sequencing chemistries produces over 20 million nucleotide bases per five-hour run, more than 60 times the capacity of currently available instruments. In 2005, 454 Sequencing and the Genome Sequencer 20 System won The Wall Street Journal’s top Innovation Award for 2005, and received an R&D 100 Editor’s Choice Award as one of the most technologically significant products introduced in 2006. The 454 Sequencing Center offers sequencing services directly to customers on a fee for service basis. The Genome Sequencer 20 system is exclusively distributed for 454 Life Sciences by Roche Applied Science, a division of Roche Diagnostics. For additional information please visit http://www.454.com.
Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans or prospects regarding the future, including the projected commercial availability of 454 Life Sciences’ next generation Genome Sequencer FLX and the capabilities of 454 Sequencing Technology, including its ability to provide greater performance and cost-efficiencies that will continue to attract new customers, increase its use for new research applications, and gain recognition from academia, the scientific and business communities. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. 454 Life Sciences and CuraGen caution investors that there can be no assurance that actual results or business conditions will not differ materially from those projected or suggested in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the early stage of development of 454 Life Sciences’ products and technologies; customer acceptance of 454 Life Sciences’ products and technologies; 454 Life Sciences’ ability to scale-up production of its products and technologies; disputes between 454 Life Sciences and CuraGen; the success of competing products and technologies; technological uncertainty and product development risks; uncertainties of clinical trials, government regulation and healthcare reform; uncertainty of additional funding with respect to both CuraGen and 454 Life Sciences; 454 Life Sciences’ and CuraGen’s history of incurring losses and the uncertainty of achieving profitability; CuraGen’s stage of development as a biopharmaceutical company; patent infringement claims against 454 Life Sciences’ and CuraGen’s products, processes and technologies; the ability to protect 454 Life Sciences’ and CuraGen’s patents and proprietary rights; uncertainties relating to commercialization rights; product liability exposure; and competition. Please refer to CuraGen’s Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q for a complete description of these risks. 454 Life Sciences and CuraGen disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
454(R) is a registered trademark of 454 Life Sciences Corporation. 454 Life Sciences(TM), Genome Sequencer 20(TM), PicoTiterPlate(TM), and 454 Sequencing(TM) are trademarks of 454 Life Sciences Corporation.
CuraGen Corporation Noonan Russo Glenn Schulman Benjamin Carmichael Assistant Director of IR (212) 845-4242 info@curagen.combenjamin.carmichael@eurorscg.com (888) 436-6642
CuraGen Corporation; 454 Life Sciences Corporation
CONTACT: Glenn Schulman, Assistant Director of IR of CuraGen Corporation,info@curagen.com, 1-888-436-6642; or Benjamin Carmichael of Noonan Russo,+1-212-845-4242, benjamin.carmichael@eurorscg.com, for CuraGen
Web site: http://www.454.com/http://www.sciam.com/
