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MADISON, WISCONSIN (January 3, 2001) The
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent to Promega Corporation for its unique,
highly-sensitive genotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scoring technology.
SNPs are an important tool in determining linkages of the genetic code to disease and the
likelihood that an individual will respond to therapy. SNPs and other genetic markers are
important in assessing thrombotic risk, research focused toward understanding diabetes and
hypertension and in classification of leukemias. The READIT™ SNP/Genotyping System
will be Promega’s first product for SNP scoring and will launch in April 2001.
U.S. Patent No. 6,159,693, entitled, "Nucleic Acid
Detection," is the first patent to issue in a series of allowed patents covering
Promega’s novel READIT™ technology. The invention discloses methods for
detecting specific nucleic acid sequences and interrogating the identity of a specific
base within a sequence. In this method, DNA or RNA probes are hybridized to target nucleic
acid sequences. Probes that are complementary to the target sequence at each base are
depolymerized with a proprietary mixture of enzymes while probes which differ from the
target at the interrogation position remain intact. The method uses pyrophosphorylation
chemistry in combination with luciferase detection to provide a highly sensitive and
adaptable SNP scoring system.
"The amount of human genetic sequence data has increased
dramatically through the efforts of the Human Genome Project. The READIT™ technology
will allow the biomedical research community to examine the hundreds of thousands of SNPs
in DNA and evaluate their linkage to disease," stated Bill Linton, Chairman and CEO
of Promega Corporation.
This novel technology positions Promega to compete in the rapidly
expanding market for genotyping systems, which is estimated to grow at 27% per year
through 2008 (Venture Planning Group). The READIT™ technology is a versatile system
for SNP scoring, suitable for both low and medium-throughput applications and a wide
variety of instrumentation platforms.
"The READIT™ System is flexible, allowing researchers to
design and synthesize their own READIT™ probes without costly chemistries or
licensing issues. The System incorporates an advanced software calculator to facilitate
automated SNP scoring, error detection and statistical analysis of the data," said
John Schultz, co-inventor and lead scientist for the project.
Additionally, the READIT™ technology can be used for a wide spectrum of genotyping
applications including the development of improved crops, identification of the presence
or absence of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food sources as well as a highly
sensitive human DNA quantitation system for use by forensic scientists.
Promega Corporation is a global leader in providing innovative
solutions and technical support for the life sciences industry. The company’s 1,200
products enable scientists worldwide to advance knowledge in genomics, proteomics, and
cell function research, molecular diagnostics, drug discovery and human identification.
Founded in 1978, the company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Annual sales exceed
$100 million.
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