July 2000, Vol. 17, No. 7 A Triumph for Bioinformatics: Fallout from "working draft" of human genome sequence On June 26, 2000 the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium announced that it has assembled a "working draft" of the sequence of the human genome. Primarily due to advancements in bioinformatic systems, production of genome sequence has skyrocketed over the past year, with more than 60 percent of the sequence having been produced in the past six months alone. During this time, the project consortium has been producing 1,000 bases per second of raw sequence seven days a week, 24 hours a day. A number of biotechnology companies have already begun to announce significant breakthroughs based on information resulting from the completion of this human genetic blueprint. Celera announces private technique for assembly of human genome Celera Genomics' (Rockville, Md.; www.celera.com) president and chief scientific officer, J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., spoke at the official White House announcement of the completion of the working draft of the human genome. He used the opportunity to announce that Celera had completed its own first assembly of the human genome DNA sequence. The public and private projects use similar automation and sequencing technology but different approaches to sequencing the human genome. The public project uses a "hierarchical shotgun" approach in which individual large DNA fragments of known position are subjected to shotgun sequencing (i.e., shredded into small fragments that are sequenced and then reassembled on the basis of sequence overlaps). The Celera project uses a "whole genome shotgun" approach, in which the entire genome is shredded into small fragments that are sequenced and put back together on the basis of sequence overlaps. Since the announcements Celera has reported a significant number of multi-year subscriptions to certain Celera database products through its Celera Discovery System product. These include agreements with high-profile universities, government agencies and biotechnology companies such as: Harvard University, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Immunex Corporation and American Home Products Corporation. Eos identifies cancer-specific genes from first full draft of human genome Eos Biotechnology Inc. (South San Francisco; www.eosbiotech.com) announced that they have identified several genes linked to breast cancer based on the full working draft of the human genome. The announcement, made at the 13th International Symposium on Treatment of Leukemia, Lymphoma and Cancer, could help speed the development of new anti-cancer treatments. Eos has examined the raw data of the whole genome working draft, rather than just examining portions as was done in the past. Their approach involved using the proprietary ability to select the actual genes which produce the body's proteins. Eos then used this information to design a set of custom GeneChip Expression Arrays, produced by Affymetrix Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.; www.affymetrix.com). These GeneChips contain probes for more than 80 percent of the active human genome on just two arrays. Finally Eos used the arrays to compare gene activity in clinically documented breast cancer tissues to activity in normal healthy tissues. The result: several new, specific genes were found to be more active in the cancer tissue than in the healthy cells. The proteins produced by these genes can now serve as targets for developing drugs to fight cancer. Eos believes these new therapies in the form of monoclonal antibodies could be ready before the end of the decade, years sooner than had been anticipated. "Scientists believed it would take two or three years for the draft of the human genome to be put in a form that could be harnessed for drug discovery, but we've made use of the data immediately," said Dr. Richard Murray, vice-president of biological research at Eos. He added, "We have shown for the first time that raw genomic data can be leveraged to quickly identify disease relevant genes and their protein products that are specifically present on cancer cells. The identification of utilities for these genes further enhances Eos' intellectual property portfolio." BioExchange.com capitalizes on growth of biotechnology Less than a month following the human genome announcements, BioExchange.com (San Francisco) launched its Biotechnology and Life Sciences Network. It features news, finance, online tools, software, vast community and B2B e-commerce. The network specializes in areas such as bioinformatics and genomics, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, genetic engineering, biophysics, microarray/MEMS and nanotechnology. E-commerce offerings include auctions, RFP/RFQ systems and online storefront hosting. Also offered is the BioExchange.com IP Marketplace for intellectual property, providing a forum for researchers and corporations to sponsor, fund, and acquire key technology assets in the life sciences. The career section of the site caters to both job seekers and employers in biotechnology and life sciences. Additional features that focus on online community building include free e-mail, personal calendars, address books, file sharing, chat and discussion boards. Table of Contents Web Site © Copyright 2000 by Lionheart Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 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