QUICKER, CHEAPER DNA SEQUENCING GOAL
OF UH PROFS WITH $4.2 MILLION NIH GRANT
Research at Houston’s VisiGen Biotechnologies
to Expand Upon Interplay Between Genetics and Disease
HOUSTON, Aug. 29, 2005 – Houston recently got a shot in
the arm toward its goal of becoming the next biotech hub in the
United States with a $4.2 million NIH grant awarded to VisiGen Biotechnologies,
a local company created by University of Houston researchers working
on a new process to sequence the human genome.
Awarded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI),
one of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), the NHGRI “Near-Term Development for Genome Sequencing”
grants are meant to support research to sequence a human-sized genome
at a 100-fold lower cost than is currently possible. The initial
goal is to lower the cost to of this procedure $100,000, enabling
researchers to sequence genomes of potentially thousands of human
subjects involved in studies to identify genes that contribute to
certain common, yet complex, diseases. A more long-term goal is
to cut the whole-genome sequencing cost to $1,000 that would provide
for applications in routine medical care, allowing doctors to tailor
diagnoses, treatments and preventative measures to in individual’s
unique genetic profile. Currently, it costs approximately $10 million
to sequence three billion base pairs, which is the amount of DNA
found in human and other mammalian genomes.
With its roots at UH, VisiGen is one of Houston’s leading-edge
BioNano Technology companies and holds hope for enabling new platform
technologies to revolutionize biomolecular sequencing. VisiGen’s
research has led to the development of a new technology for direct
molecular sensing that is projected to sequence an entire genome
– the genetic code in a person’s DNA – in less
than 24 hours at a reasonable cost, thereby enabling personalized
medicine. This and other developing technologies coming out of this
group may soon offer physicians a quicker, more thorough way to
assess genetically linked risk factors for such things as diseases
and adverse drug reactions.
VisiGen’s President and CEO Susan Hardin, an adjunct professor
of biology and biochemistry at UH, is the principal investigator
on the NHGRI project. Her UH partners at VisiGen and collaborators
on this grant include James Briggs, an associate professor of biology
and biochemistry, chemical engineering and chemistry; Costa Colbert,
associate professor of biology and biochemistry; Xiaolian Gao, a
professor of chemistry, biology and biochemistry; Michael Rea, a
professor of biology and biochemistry; David Tu, John and Rebecca
Moores Professor of biology and biochemistry; and Richard Willson,
an associate professor of chemical engineering, biology and biochemistry.
In particular, the UH researchers at VisiGen are developing a sequencing
system where polymerase (an enzyme used to synthesize DNA) and nucleotides
(the molecules forming the basic modular structure of DNA’s
double helix) act together as direct molecular DNA base-identity
sensors. The resultant interactions emit a signature detectable
in real time. During the course of this three-year project, DNA
samples will be processed in massively parallel arrays, working
toward a goal to sequence large genomes in less than a day for approximately
$1,000. VisiGen’s technology will permit sufficient oversampling
that will produce redundant data, thereby minimizing errors.
Developing this system will allow VisiGen researchers to identify
pathogens and enable comprehensive genome analysis, with a specific
aim to design, build and test the next generation single-molecule
DNA sequencing instrument. Subsequently, this instrument will be
used for beta testing by various Houston researchers, whose feedback
will be incorporated into future phases of technology development.
Such strides will eventually increase the scope and scale of research
that addresses genomic contributions to such common diseases as
cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
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