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PRESS RELEASE: GENEART Supports iGEM Contest for the Third Year in a Row
PRESS RELEASE: GENEART Supports iGEM Contest for the Third Year in a Row
- The iGEM ("International Genetically Engineered Machine") contest
aims at the development of standardized DNA building blocks for
different applications in Synthetic Biology
- GENEART supports organizers and participants as a partner of the
contest
- 112 student teams from all over the world participate
Regensburg, June 24, 2009 - GENEART AG, world market leader for gene
synthesis and specialist in Synthetic Biology, supports the
international iGEM ("International Genetically Engineered Machine")
contest for applications in Synthetic Biology for the third time in a
row. Student teams spend their summer holidays constructing, with the
help of standardized exchangeable building blocks from DNA (DNA:
deoxyribonucleic acid/genetic material), for instance bacteria with
which cancer cells can be specifically destroyed or environmental
toxins such as arsenic can be detected and degraded. This year 112
international teams, each under the direction of leading scientists
in the area of Synthetic Biology, compete for the most innovative
idea. The contest has seen a rapid development since its inauguration
in 2004 and is now considered to be one of the largest international
scientific competitions.
All DNA building blocks developed within the scope of iGEM to date -
by now more than 1,000 - are collected in a kind of library and are
available to all iGEM teams for their projects as well. The goal of
the contest is to combine already existing DNA building blocks with
self developed constructions and thus create complex bio-systems with
new functions. As partner of the contest, GENEART will provide
280.000 base pairs to the participants to produce new DNA fragments.
At the same time, GENEART provides financial support for the
competition. Prizes will be awarded to the most interesting projects.
The prizes are presented in October at the iGEM award ceremony at the
campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in
Cambridge, MA (USA).
Synthetic Biology is considered a seminal key technology in the life
sciences. Even though still in the early stages of development, there
are by now more than 170 companies, research teams and other
organizations in the USA, and more than 50 in Europe, actively
involved in the Synthetic Biology sector.* The applications of
Synthetic Biology are manifold (see below). But what they have in
common is that they build on gene synthesis as the key technology for
the design and production of standard components. "As the world-wide
leading provider in the area of gene synthesis we support the
development of this new research discipline and thus tomorrow's
customers through our commitment to this contest. With the help of
gene synthesis, we can provide participants with tailor-made DNA
fragments for the realization of their ideas. At the same time,
GENEART gets very early insights into projects and technological
developments of the far future," states Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner, CEO of
GENEART AG. In this newly developing market GENEART is also involved
in several European projects that are publicly funded - for instance
the development of standardized biological switches.
* www.synbioproject.org/map
Synthetic Biology background:
The goal of Synthetic Biology is the creation of organisms -
bacteria, algae or yeasts - with special properties that are useful
to humans. They are intended to e.g. fight cancer cells after
infiltration into the body of patients, or degrade pollutants in the
environment or produce drugs, vaccines, fuels or other chemicals in
vitro as a type of bioreactor. Unlike already existing genetically
altered organisms, they are intended to produce or degrade
significantly more complex combinations. Important examples of
Synthetic Biology are research projects to construct bioreactors
which produce bio fuels from plant waste. British Petroleum and the
US Department of Energy currently invest more than USD 500M in this
area.
As already common in electrical engineering, standardized components
are supposed to be developed and used in Synthetic Biology as well,
with the help of which the desired bio-plants can be constructed.
GENEART designs and delivers the components in the form of DNA
building blocks. These DNA building blocks are newly synthesized and
thus help circumvent the limitations of nature. Gene synthesis offers
the highest freedom in design and thus accelerates the progress in
biotechnology as well as in Synthetic Biology.
Additional information at: http://2009.igem.org
For further inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Karoline Stürmer
GENEART AG
Josef-Engert-Str. 11
93053 Regensburg
Germany
Phone: +49-(0)941-942 76-417
Fax: +49-(0)941-942 76-711
ir@geneart.com
www.geneart.com
Frank Ostermair
Better Orange IR & HV AG
Haidelweg 48
81241 Munich
Germany
Phone: +49-(0)89-8896906-10
Fax: +49-(0)89-8896906-66
info@better-orange.de
www.better-orange.de
Legal Information
This document may contain estimates, prognoses and opinions about
company plans and objectives, products or services, future results,
opinions about these results or opinions leading up to these results.
All these projections into the future are subject to risk,
uncertainty and unforeseeable change outside the control of the
GENEART Group. Many factors may lead to actual results, which
considerably deviate from the given projections for these results.
About GENEART AG:
In 2000, GENEART entered the gene synthesis market and has since
become the global market leader. Today, the company is one of the
leading specialists in the Synthetic Biology field. Experts at
GENEART provide key technologies for the development and production
of new therapeutics and vaccines. Customers also take advantage of
GENEART services to customize enzyme attributes, such as the
attributes of enzymes used as detergent additives, and to construct
bacteria, which produce complex biopolymers or break down polymers,
such as synthetics, petroleum components, etc. Our production and
service spectrum spans a wide range, from the production of synthetic
genes according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000, to the creation of gene
libraries in the combinatorial biology, to the development and
production of DNA-based biologically active substances. GENEART AG in
Regensburg (Germany) and the subsidiaries GENEART Inc. in Toronto
(Canada) and GENEART Inc. in San Francisco (USA) employ more than 190
people. GENEART is listed on the German Stock Exchange.
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
http://hugin.info/136633/R/1324453/311076.pdf
http://www.geneart.com
Copyright © Hugin AS 2009. All rights reserved.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires June 24, 2009 01:01 ET (05:01 GMT) |
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