ST. LOUIS, Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma Life Science,
the innovative biological products and services business of
Sigma-Aldrich® (Nasdaq: SIAL), today announced that its SAGE Labs
initiative has partnered with Cofactor Genomics in an effort to
sequence genomes for six of the most widely used strains of rat.
As part of the agreement, Cofactor Genomics plans to generate
and analyze sequence data using next generation sequencing systems,
while SAGE Labs plans to provide the samples and to host a new,
free public database at sageresearchmodels.com in late 2011.
The database will include exclusive genomic information and
analysis tools.
Currently, the Brown Norway is the only rat strain with a high
quality draft sequence available. It was completed by the Rat
Genome Consortium in 2004 with funding from the NIH. The
draft sequence showed the rat shares nearly every gene implicated
in human disease. However, since then, little work has been
done, with the last update occurring in November of 2004.
The additional genome sequence provided by SAGE Labs and
Cofactor Genomics should enable SAGE Labs to create improved models
of human disease for the research community, while helping
researchers to better pinpoint the crucial areas of biological
difference between rats and humans. The creation of a new,
public rat strain database could provide a quantum leap forward for
better understanding the genetic basis of disease in humans.
Dr. Edward Weinstein, Director of
SAGE Labs at Sigma Life Science, said, "With the costs of whole
genome sequencing rapidly coming down, it is now far more feasible
to understand the genomes of the most widely used model organisms
such as the rat. Sigma Life Science and its SAGE Labs
initiative plan to lead the way in revealing these new genomes and
making the information publically available."
"This project and collaboration leverages Cofactor's
experimental design and analysis expertise to develop a global
resource aimed at scientific discovery," said Jon Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer of
Cofactor Genomics.
The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that
can be identified by terminology such as "plans to," "should," or
similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions
regarding potential future revenues from products derived from the
initiative to sequence the rat genome. You should not place undue
reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements
reflect the current views of management regarding future events,
and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that by
better understanding the rat genome we will achieve, through our
offering of gene-modified rats for sale, any particular levels of
revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations
regarding our rat program could be affected by, among other things,
unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation
generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or
other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in
general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures;
the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values
attributed to the Company's assets and liabilities as recorded in
its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors
referred to in Sigma-Aldrich's current Form 10-K on file with the
US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these
risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially
from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-
Aldrich is providing the
information in this press release as of this date and does not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements
contained in this press release as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
For more information on SAGE Labs, please visit
http://www.sageresearchmodels.com.
About Sigma Life Science: Sigma Life Science is a
Sigma-Aldrich business that represents the Company's leadership in
innovative biological products and services for the global life
science market and offers an array of biologically-rich products
and reagents that researchers use in scientific investigation.
Product areas include biomolecules, genomics and functional
genomics, cells and cell-based assays, transgenics, protein assays,
stem cell research, epigenetics and custom
services/oligonucleotides. Sigma Life Science also provides an
extensive range of critical bioessentials like biochemicals,
antibiotics, buffers, carbohydrates, enzymes, forensic tools,
hematology and histology, nucleotides, amino acids and their
derivatives, and cell culture media. For more information about
Sigma Life Science, please visit our Web sites at Where Bio Begins
and Sigma Life Science.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High
Technology company committed to Enabling Science to Improve the
Quality of Life. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are
used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic
research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key
components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology
manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies,
university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry.
Over one million scientists and technologists use its products.
Sigma-Aldrich operates in 40
countries and has 7,900 employees providing excellent service
worldwide. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit
its award-winning Web site at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.
About Cofactor Genomics: Cofactor Genomics provides
next-generation sequencing and analysis services and cutting-edge
genomics solutions to corporate and academic clients worldwide.
Cofactor's expertise in experimental design, next-generation
sequencing, and advanced analytics provides a foundation for
researchers to answer previously unimagined scientific questions.
The company uses the most advanced next-generation sequencing
platforms available in combination with commercial and proprietary
analysis software and pipelines. For more information about
Cofactor Genomics, please visit www.cofactorgenomics.com
Sigma-Aldrich and Sigma are
trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich
Co.
SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich