Here is a more balanced version of this story from Bloomberg:
Celera's Fruit Fly Genetic Map Has Flaws, Study
Finds (Update1)
By Brian Reid
London, May 16 (Bloomberg) -- Applera Corp.'s Celera Genomics Group's
gene map of the fruit fly published last year contains flaws, according to a new
analysis of data generated from the map.
The analysis by a team from Stanford University's mathematics department
shows that fruit fly genes, as described by Celera, give erroneous instructions
for producing proteins in 45 percent of 1,049 proteins studied.
Gene researchers said the number of errors wasn't unexpected. Still, the
Stanford scientists said their analysis underscores the limitations of
accurately finding genes and proteins in genetic sequences, including the
human gene map published by both public researchers and Celera in
February.
``For now,'' the authors wrote, ``these uncertainties should prescribe caution in
interpreting newly predicted genes. Individual sequences should continuously
be corrected and refined.''
Celera referred questions about the study, to be published tomorrow in the
journal Nature, to Gerald Rubin, director of the Berkeley Drosophila Genome
Project, who worked with Celera on the original map of the fruit-fly genome, or
genetic map.
Rubin defended the work, saying ``half-right is state of the art.''
``I don't disagree that only 50 percent are right, but that still means that it's the
best job of sequencing that's ever been done,'' he said.
In nearly all cases, Rubin said, errors noted in the new study stemmed from
mistakes in analysis of genetic information, not the Celera data itself.
Celera shares hit an all-time high of $276 in February 2000, the month before
the company announced it had completed its map of the fruit fly. Celera used
the fruit fly to test the strategy it used to decode the human genome, a
process the company completed in February of this year.
Shares of the company have dropped 86 percent from their February 2000
high. Today, they fell 3 cents at $38.25 today.
Information generated from efforts to decode the genetic makeup of humans,
other animals and plants will be used by medical researchers to find previously
unknown genes that may cause -- or treat -- disease.
Corrections of the fruit fly gene map have been under way since the genome
was first made available last year. Researchers who spot errors can notify
annotators through a Web site. Rubin said the group plans to release an
updated annotation of the fruit fly's genome next year that should raise the
accuracy to 75 percent. |
