Emerald Bio Announces Unprecedented Multi-Target 3D Structural Biology Success

BEDFORD, MA--(Marketwire - June 12, 2012) - Emerald Bio announces early delivery of the 500th novel protein structure under the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), a consortium of researchers from Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (Seattle BioMed), Emerald Bio, the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Funded by a contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, within the National Institutes of Health), the collaboration was launched in late 2007 to enable the discovery of new treatments for emerging infectious disease by providing 3D structure insights for hundreds of novel targets.

The structures are made available to the drug discovery field through deposition in the NIH-supported protein data bank (PDB). "The goal was to deposit at least 375 structures in the PDB within five years, and by applying Emerald's unique multi-target parallel processing crystallography platform we've been able to exceed expectations and meet that goal early," said Dr. Peter Myler, Director of SSGCID and Member at Seattle BioMed.

The structures available encompass novel targets from category A to C agents, and in addition to hundreds of bacterial targets, include 79 structures from eukaryotic pathogens, as well as numerous ligand-bound structures. Over the course of the program, the work is supported by 55 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

"SSGCID has become one of the world's most productive structural genomics projects," said Johan Pontin, CEO of Emerald Bio. "The Emerald crystallography team is providing new structures to our collaborators a rate of over two hundred per year."

About Emerald Bio: Emerald Bio is a protein resource company. We leverage our unique assets and know-how in biochemistry and structural biology to further our clients' understanding of proteins, and that ultimately leads to improved human health. Emerald Bio is a privately owned company that maintains facilities in Seattle and Boston. Our dedicated team supports leading research institutes and commercial therapeutic and diagnostic companies worldwide. To learn more about Emerald Bio's array of key resources, visit www.embios.com.

ABOUT SEATTLE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE:

Seattle BioMed is the largest independent, non-profit organization in the U.S. focused solely on infectious disease research. Our research is the foundation for new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics that benefit those who need our help most: the 14 million who will otherwise die each year from infectious diseases, including malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Founded in 1976, Seattle BioMed has more than 360 staff members. By partnering with key collaborators around the globe, we strive to make discoveries that will save lives sooner. Visit Here for more information.

Contacts:

For Emerald Bio:

Johan Pontin

(206) 780-8900

For Media:

Mary Canady

(858) 922-6640

mcanady[at]comprendia[dot]com