GLGC
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Gene Logic Inc.
Gene Logic Receives Patent on New Chip for Studying DNA, Other Molecules
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Gene Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: GLGC - news) announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent Number 5,843,767 for the company's Flow-thru Chip™ microarray device, which may have broad application in drug discovery, genomics, and proteomics (the molecular characterization of an organism's proteins). Gene Logic holds exclusive, worldwide rights to this patent under a license from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Often called DNA chips, currently available microarray devices are used primarily in genomics research. They are sometimes used to study genetic polymorphisms, or differences in DNA sequences between individuals, that may play a role in determining a person's susceptibility to disease and response to medical treatment. DNA chips can also be used to investigate differences in gene expression, or the degree to which each gene is turned on in various tissues. Gene expression studies may be helpful in determining causes of disease, identifying targets for drug discovery, and designing clinical trials that enhance drug effectiveness and minimize adverse effects.
Using DNA chips, researchers can simultaneously analyze hundreds or thousands of hybridizations, the biochemical reactions in which complementary pairs of DNA strands link together. These chips have probe molecules -- single strands of DNA with known sequences -- attached to a flat, non-porous surface of glass or silicon in specific locations. Fluorescent-labeled target molecules -- strands of unknown DNA prepared from cell or tissue samples -- are placed in solution on the chip to allow hybridization. By plotting the locations of fluorescence on the chip, researchers can determine which DNA sequences are present in the sample.
Unlike flat chips, the Flow-thru Chip has hundreds of thousands of discrete microscopic channels that pass completely through it. Probe molecules are attached to the inner surface of these channels, and target molecules flow through the channels, coming into close proximity to the probes. This proximity facilitates hybridization.
The Flow-thru Chip appears to offer several advantages over other microarray devices:
* Sensitivity. The Flow-thru Chip has greater surface area for
attachment of probe molecules than flat chips. Under certain
conditions, this feature results in a stronger signal and thus
allows detection of smaller quantities of target molecules.
* Speed. Due to the small size of the channels, target molecules bind
to their complementary probe molecules more quickly, reducing the
time required for each assay.
* Versatility. The close proximity of probes and target molecules may
facilitate, in addition to DNA hybridization, a wide range of other
reactions. For example, the chip may be useful in analyzing
interactions between two proteins, between proteins and DNA, or
between proteins and small molecules. It may also enhance the
efficiency of certain enzymatic reactions and thereby be useful in
enzyme-dependent assays. It may even be useful in some chemical
synthesis reactions.
''This patent gives us exclusive access to a technology that may have relevance to a broad range of research areas,'' said Michael J. Brennan, M.D., Ph.D., Gene Logic's President and Chief Executive Officer. ''It not only may provide us with a method of screening for new drug leads, it may also open the door to other business opportunities in related fields.''
One application for which Gene Logic intends to develop the Flow-thru Chip is drug screening for its pharmaceutical partners. This use of the chip would complement the company's READSO differential display technology, which is used to identify genes that are over- or under-expressed in various diseases. Once these genes are identified, they can be arrayed on the chip. The company may then use the chip to screen libraries of chemical compounds to determine which ones affect expression of these genes in a manner thought to be beneficial. Compounds that have such effects may become candidates for drug development by Gene Logic's partners.
Gene Logic combines genomics technologies and bioinformatics expertise to provide pharmaceutical companies with products designed to reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with drug discovery and development. These products include proprietary databases of gene expression for drug target discovery and development, a novel screening technology for identifying new drug leads, and a pharmacogenomics technology for stratifying patient populations to enhance drug effectiveness and minimize adverse effects. The company's Data Logic division, based in Berkeley, Calif., markets bioinformatics software for managing, analyzing, and integrating genomic data.
Gene Logic has established alliances with American Home Products' Wyeth- Ayerst Research Division; N.V. Organon, the pharmaceutical unit of chemical manufacturer Akzo Nobel; Japan Tobacco's Pharmaceuticals Division; Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals; Rhone-Poulenc Rorer; Schering-Plough; Merck & Company; and Hoechst Schering AgrEvo, one of the world's largest agricultural product manufacturers. The Data Logic division has a collaborative agreement with SmithKline Beecham, under which it is installing its bioinformatics software to enable SmithKline Beecham to build proprietary genomics databases and integrate them with information from public databases.
This news release contains forward-looking information, including statements about the scope of the Flow-thru Chip patent and about some of the chip's potential uses. Such statements reflect the company's current views of future events. Actual results may differ materially because of a number of factors, such as the impact of competition, technological advances, and decisions made by Gene Logic's corporate partners, as well as risks related to the company's ability to enforce its patent rights. These risk factors and others are more fully described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 1997, the Form S-4 filed in connection with the company's acquisition of Oncormed Inc., and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE: Gene Logic Inc.
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