Perlegen Sciences and International Rice Research Institute to Collaborate on Rice DNA Variation Study
November 16 2005 - 8:00PM
Business Wire
Perlegen Sciences, Inc., and the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) announced today that they will collaborate to
identify DNA variation in fifteen rice strains. By identifying
sequence variation between major rice varieties, the study will
help uncover the genetic basis underlying important agricultural
traits. Rice is the world's number one food crop, providing the
principal source of calories for nearly half the world's
population. It is also a staple in the diet of some of the world's
poorest but fastest growing nations. Booming population growth in
areas with limited availability of arable land has created an
urgent need for agricultural solutions that will help prevent
hunger and malnutrition crises. The findings from this study could
contribute to more effective breeding programs, accelerating the
development of hardier and more productive strains of rice. "We are
committed to contribute to a greater molecular understanding of
rice's genetic variation as a foundation for future rice
improvement," said Dr. Robert Zeigler, Director General of the
International Rice Research Institute. "This study will allow us to
associate variation in DNA with important traits such as drought
resistance or vitamin and mineral content, ultimately helping us to
breed rice strains that can be cultivated under more extreme
environmental conditions or provide greater nutritional value."
"Rice is an important crop for world agriculture and an excellent
candidate for a DNA variation study," said Dr. Kelly Frazer, Vice
President, Genomics at Perlegen. "Combining Perlegen's
high-throughput technology and experience in SNP detection with the
International Rice Research Institute's pioneering studies in rice
biodiversity gives us an opportunity to improve the quality of one
of the most critical human food sources worldwide." The
collaborators plan to identify genetic variations known as single
nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, from across the whole-genome of
the fifteen strains being studied using Perlegen's high throughput
oligonucleotide array approach enabled by Affymetrix GeneChip(R)
technology. While Perlegen's primary focus is on using this
technology to personalize medicines, it also applies this approach
to other types of genetic studies that could benefit humanity,
including important genetic studies of plants and other species
critical to human health. The application of this technology for
SNP detection is made possible by the available "standards" of rice
genome sequence contributed by the International Rice Genome
Sequencing Project (IRGSP) and the Beijing Genomics Institute. All
results from the study will be made public. Terms of the
collaboration were not disclosed. About Perlegen Sciences Perlegen
Sciences, Inc. is working to provide safe and effective medicines
to the world. The company quickly and cost effectively analyzes
millions of genetic variations in DNA samples obtained from
clinical trial participants. This information is used to explain
and predict the efficacy and adverse effect profiles of
prescription drugs. Perlegen also applies this expertise to
discovering genetic variants associated with disease for potential
new therapeutics and diagnostics. For years, scientists and drug
manufacturers have been eager to comprehensively examine entire
genomes; through Perlegen, this is now possible. Perlegen is able
to bring drugs to the market that might otherwise have been
discontinued in clinical development. Based in Mountain View,
California, Perlegen was formed in late 2000 as a spin-off from
Affymetrix, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFX). For more information about the
company and its technologies, visit Perlegen's website at
www.perlegen.com. Perlegen Sciences, Perlegen, and the Perlegen
logo are trademarks of Perlegen Sciences, Inc. About International
Rice Research Institute IRRI is a nonprofit agricultural research
and training center established to improve the well-being of
present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers,
particularly those with low incomes. It is dedicated to helping
farmers in developing countries produce more food on limited land,
using less water, less labor, and few chemical inputs, without
harming the environment. IRRI has helped to develop around 1,000
modern varieties of rice, thereby increasing rice availability and
reducing rice prices.
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