PE Biosystems, Paradigm Genetics to Develop Bioinformatics Software for Functional Genomics

PE Biosystems Group (Foster City, CA) and Paradigm Genetics Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC) have signed a five-year collaborative research agreement to develop bioinformatics software for functional genomics. The agreement will bring together Paradigm Genetics' experience in agricultural genomics with PE Informatics' (a division of PE Biosystems) information management systems and bioinformatics platform.

The goal of the collaboration is to develop a comprehensive software infrastructure and query tools for organizing, accessing, and analyzing the large amounts of information associated with a gene sequence that is necessary in order to understand the function of a gene and gene product in an organism.

As part of the collaboration, PE Informatics will design software to expand development of its information management systems and bioinformatics platform. Paradigm will test and use the systems as a foundation for its proprietary database AgDB and further refine the software in conjunction with PE Informatics. Both parties will have access to intellectual property on software developed from the collaboration.

PE Biosystems Group, a PE Corp. (Norwalk, CT) business, develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software, and contract-related services to the life science industry and research community. Its PE Informatics Division provides integrated bioinformatics software solutions and services to accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacturing process.

Paradigm Genetics Inc. is an agricultural genomics company.

For more information: PE Biosystems Group, 850 Lincoln Centre Dr., Foster City, CA 94404. Tel: 650-638-5800. Fax: 650-638-5884.