Project To Map Rat Genome To Boost Celera Database Value
By BETH M. MANTZ
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK -- Sequencing the genomes of E.coli bacteria, yeast, fruit flies, humans and mice isn't enough to understand life and disease at the molecular level.
Celera Genomics Group (CRA), a unit of Applera Corp., has already gone after these species and is now planning to map the rat. The much-maligned rodent is loved by laboratory researchers because of its use in pharmaceutical development.
Investors applauded the move, sending the genomics research and database company's stock up 5.7% Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Human Genome Research Institute awarded a total of $58 million to Celera Genomics and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to produce a draft sequence of the laboratory rat genome within two years. Genome Therapeutics Corp. (GENE), the Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Md., and the University of British Columbia will also participate in the decoding.
"We believe that by pooling our resources we can quickly unlock the mysteries of this important model organism," said J. Craig Venter, Celera Genomics president and chief scientific officer.
While analysts don't anticipate significant revenue solely from the sequenced genome of a laboratory rat, they do view the research program as a testament to Celera's skill in mapping and analyzing that will make its database all the more valuable to subscribers.
"Celera has the sequencing capacity task force that can be leveraged across multiple activities," said Winton Gibbons, analyst at William Blair.
He cited the company's recent completion of mapping the Streptomyces diversa genome with Diversa Corp. (DVSA) and its rough draft of a mouse genome compiled from three different strains of mice.
Embarking on the laboratory rat program also signals that Celera is keyed into its customers' needs, Gibbons said.
Interest in the sequencing the rat genome arises from the animal's wide use as a model in understanding, treating and preventing many human diseases. Pharmaceutical companies often test a potential medicine's toxicity on laboratory rats.
The rat genome has about 3 billion base pairs, similar to the size of the human genome. Sequencing this genome would enable researchers to discover similar pathways found in both rats and humans and discern how these pathways relate to each other in order to identify the function of genes. This understanding might lead to greater insight into a drug's toxicity.
Shares of Celera rose $2.35, to $43.50, on volume of 1.4 million shares, compared with average daily volume of 1.7 million shares.
-By Beth M. Mantz, Dow Jones Newswires |
