Affymetrix, TIGR and NIAID Join Forces to Fight SARS Virus
A new GeneChip® array from Affymetrix, Inc., that aims to catalyze research into the SARS virus is being made available to the research community through an innovative collaboration involving partners in the government, not-for-profit and business sectors. The arrays will be distributed at no cost to qualifying researchers through the Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (PFGRC), which TIGR operates under contract with the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
June 23, 2003
Rockville, MD, and Santa Clara, CA - A new GeneChip® array from Affymetrix, Inc., (NASDAQ: AFFX) that aims to catalyze research into the SARS virus is being made available to the research community through an innovative collaboration involving partners in the government, not-for-profit and business sectors.
An initial offering of GeneChip brand SARS Arrays will be distributed at no cost to qualifying researchers through the Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (PFGRC), which is operated by The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) - a not-for-profit research institute - under contract with the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The SARS-CoV array program is part of an ongoing effort by NIAID to promote genomics approaches to improve the understanding of pathogenic microbes and the diseases they cause. Any researcher, regardless of affiliation, can apply for the arrays and other reagents using a simple web-based application process.
"This collaboration will facilitate efforts to provide important research tools and catalyze research initiatives to better understand and control SARS," says TIGR Investigator Rob Fleischmann, the PFGRC's administrative director. "This shows how the PFGRC, NIAID, and corporate partners such as Affymetrix can quickly disseminate genomic research tools to the community, and thus stimulate a genomics approach to studying and fighting emerging diseases."
The Affymetrix SARS Array resequences the entire 29,700 base pairs in the SARS virus and was designed using sequence from public health centers in Canada, Asia, and the United States. Researchers are expected to use the new array in several ways:
- By sequencing more isolates of the SARS virus, scientists can find DNA sequence differences between isolates and categorize different isolates of the virus into subtypes or strains.
- By comparing patient outcome among different pathogen subtypes, scientists may better understand which strains are most dangerous and discover key factors in developing therapies.
- Epidemiologists can also use the Affymetrix SARS array to study how the virus is evolving over time, during its spread into different geographies and populations.
"We are pleased to be part of this novel public/private initiative to get genomics tools into the hands of scientists quickly and help address this public health problem," said Greg Yap, Affymetrix's Senior Marketing Director, DNA Analysis. "We hope that that the Affymetrix SARS array will contribute to the global search to understand SARS and find better treatments."
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious and immune-mediated illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, illness from potential agents of bioterrorism, tuberculosis, malaria, autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies.
About PFGRC & TIGR:
The PFGRC, operated at TIGR since late 2001 under a NIAID contract, provides microarray resources and other reagents for qualifying scientists. Its goal is to provide scientists with the centralized resources needed to conduct functional genomics studies on a variety of pathogens for which genomics sequence information is available.
The PFGRC started by producing microarrays for three pathogens --Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium - that cause several serious diseases, including salmonella, staph infections and strep infections. Early this year, the center added four other pathogens: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causitive agent of tuberculosis; Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the deadliest form of human malaria; Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the pathogen that causes gonorrhea; and organisms of the Chlamydia genus which cause chlamydia, trachoma and other serious diseases.
The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), which sequenced the first complete genome of a free-living organism in 1995, is a not-for-profit research institute that conducts research involving the structural, functional, and comparative analysis of genomes and gene products in viruses, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes.
About Affymetrix:
Affymetrix is a pioneer in creating breakthrough tools that are driving the genomic revolution. By applying the principles of semiconductor technology to the life sciences, Affymetrix develops and commercializes systems that enable scientists to improve the quality of life. The Company's customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostics and consumer products companies as well as academic, government and other non-profit research institutes. Affymetrix offers an expanding portfolio of integrated products and services, including its integrated GeneChip platform, to address growing markets focused on understanding the relationship between genes and human health. Additional information on Affymetrix can be found at www.affymetrix.com.
All statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies," or the like. Such statements, are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected, including, but not limited to, market acceptance of Affymetrix' products (including market acceptance of the GeneChip SARS CustomSeq Array and its ability to contribute to the global research to understand SARS and find better treatments) These and other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and other SEC reports, including its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for subsequent quarterly periods. Affymetrix expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Affymetrix' expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements are based.
Affymetrix, the Affymetrix logo and GeneChip are trademarks owned or used by Affymetrix, Inc. CustomSeq is a trademark of Affymetrix, Inc.
Media Contacts:
TIGR and PFGRC:
Robert Koenig
TIGR Public Affairs Manager
301-838-5880
e-mail: rkoenig@tigr.org
Affymetrix:
Wes Conard
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
408-731-5791