BRANFORD, Conn., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 454 Life Sciences Corp., a majority-owned subsidiary of CuraGen Corp. , today announced that researchers at Yale University using the company’s Genome Sequencer system have determined the pathogenic content of A. baumannii, a bacteria responsible for several infections, including pneumonia, meningitis and those of the urinary tract.
Published in a paper in Genes & Development, the results reveal that A. baumannii devotes a considerable portion of its genes to pathogenesis. Sequencing identified a large amount of foreign bacterial DNA incorporated into the A. baumannii genome and also helped to identify virulence genes that lack homology with other known genes. The study is titled “New Insights Into Acinetobacter baumannii Pathogenesis Revealed By High-Density Pyrosequencing and Transposon Mutagenesis.”
“The sequence of the genome of this organism is critical for understanding how it harms humans and ultimately will be useful for designing therapeutic agents to combat this infectious disease,” said Michael Snyder, Ph.D., who led the research at Yale University. “The new 454 Sequencing technology allows anyone to be able to efficiently sequence a bacterial genome at high quality.”
Michael Egholm, Ph.D., vice president of research and development with 454 Life Sciences, added: “We believe that 454 Sequencing allows the rapid elucidation of the DNA sequence of any microbe and, when combined with gene function screens, can identify many novel genes important for microbial pathogenesis. I am excited to see a laboratory outside of a major genome center generate a single scaffold assembly based on our high quality draft de novo assembly.”
Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important and problematic human pathogen as it is the causative agent of several types of infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia and urinary tract infections. Researchers explored the pathogenic content of this harmful pathogen using a combination of DNA sequencing and functional screening utilizing transposon mutagenesis.
454 Life Sciences has made its technology commercially available via the 454 Sequencing Center, which offers sequencing services to clients worldwide. The Genome Sequencer FLX System and related products are sold worldwide by Roche Applied Science, a business unit of Roche Diagnostics.
About 454 Life Sciences
454 Life Sciences Corporation, a majority-owned subsidiary of CuraGen Corporation , develops and commercializes novel instrumentation for high-throughput DNA sequencing. Specific applications include whole-genome sequencing, RNA analysis 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. 454 Sequencing and the Genome Sequencer 20 System won The Wall Street Journal’s top Innovation Award in 2005 and received an R&D 100 Editor’s Choice Award as one of the most technologically significant products in 2006. The 454 Sequencing Center offers sequencing services directly to customers on a fee for service basis. Genome Sequencer systems are 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
Statements in this press release regarding management’s future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans or prospects, including statements relating to the capabilities, performance and expectations for 454’s technology and the 454 GS FLX System, such as the ability to sequence the Acinetobacter baumannii genome and the importance of such sequencing on how the bacteria harms humans and may lead to the design of therapeutic agents, and the ability of the 454 technology to assist in the identification of novel genes important for microbial pathogenesis, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “could increase the likelihood,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “is planned,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “will enable,” “would be expected,” “look forward,” “may provide,” “would” or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including: 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, as well as those risks, uncertainties and factors referred to in CuraGen’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the section “Risk Factors,” and other documents that may be filed by CuraGen from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, CuraGen’s actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. CuraGen and 454 Life Sciences are providing the information in this press release as of this date and assume no obligations to update the information included in this press release 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 FLX(TM), Genome Sequencer 20(TM), and 454 Sequencing(TM) are trademarks of 454 Life Sciences Corporation.
CRGN-454 CuraGen Corporation Glenn Schulman Director of IR info@curagen.com (888) 436-6642 Noonan Russo Benjamin Carmichael (212) 845-4242 benjamin.carmichael@eurorscg.com
454 Life Sciences Corp.; CuraGen Corporation
CONTACT: Glenn Schulman, Director of IR of CuraGen Corporation,+1-888-436-6642, info@curagen.com; or Benjamin Carmichael of Noonan Russo,+1-212-845-4242, benjamin.carmichael@eurorscg.com
Web site: http://www.454.com/
