GENOME express announces a complete sequencing and annotation service for bacterial genomics French innovation agency provides Euro 1 million to aid completion of first project by mid-2002

GENOME express, the developer of high value-added solutions for functional genomics and pharmacogenomics, today announced plans to bring to market a service that will explore and sequence bacterial genomes for the healthcare, agri-food and environmental sectors.

For further information please contact:
Françoise Laurent
GENOME express
Tel: +33 4 56 38 11 08
f.laurent@genomex.com

Andrew Lloyd
Andrew Lloyd & Associates
Phone: +44-1273 675100
Fax: +44-1273 675400
allo@ala.com

Grenoble, France, May 15 2002--GENOME express, the developer of high value-added solutions for functional genomics and pharmacogenomics, today announced plans to bring to market a service that will explore and sequence bacterial genomes for the healthcare, agri-food and environmental sectors. Building on its bioinformatics and sequencing expertise, the company expects to complete its first project, involving the Oenicoccus Oeni bacterium, by mid-2002. GENOME express also announced that the company has won a Euro1 million grant from French innovation agency - Anvar - specifically for this project.

Bacteria are heavily implicated in human and animal health as well as in agri-food and industrial processes. So understanding of bacterial genes will be a vital weapon in controlling resurgent diseases such as tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance, toxic infections like gastro-enteritis, salmonella and listeria, as well as the growing threat from nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.

This new service will offer the highest quality and the best performance of any one-stop shop in Europe for the complete integrated sequencing and annotation of bacterial genomes," said Yves Laurent, CEO of GENOME express. Not only will GENOME express customers be able to obtain basic sequence information, they will also get access to qualified and annotated sequences as well as genes of special interest," added Laurent. The objective is to accelerate significantly time to discovery and to enable customers to develop and bring to market new therapeutics and processes."

Anvars decision to back the project to the tune of Euro 1 million is not only a welcome contribution to our plans - it will cover half the costs of phase 1 of development - but is also a powerful seal of approval for the innovative aspects of the project," he added.

The new service gives GENOME express customers a single point of contact for outsourcing, making their R&D process easier, and faster while minimizing confidentiality risks. The platform will enable them to reduce the time needed for genomic exploration, and also give them access to GENOME expresss know-how in areas such as genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

GENOME express believes it is the only European company that is offering this type of high-quality, comprehensive and integrated service. Another advantage for the company is that new service will give GENOME express the capacity to generate its own intellectual property through R&D collaborations or contracts with the industry.

The company expects to deliver on its first project in mid-year. The project involves the sequencing and annotation of the Oenicoccus Oeni bacterium in collaboration with the INRA agricultural research center in Dijon. The new service leverages GENOME expresss know-how in four complementary areas, all of which are necessary to complete sequencing of genomes. These are:

DNA libraries
High throughput sequencing, including the understanding and optimization of protocols and techniques using capillary sequencers from the two leading suppliers.
Finishing and assembly including the development of proprietary tools to improve quality as well as a selection of different technical solutions to provide a finished sequence.
Annotation - GENOME express is a lead member of GenoStar, the bioinformatics consortium for exploratory genomics.

The company has access to extensive proteomic data through the national proteomics database maintained by Frances nuclear energy agency in Grenoble. It is also part of formal and informal networks created with bodies such as locally based laboratories of leaders in vaccines, diagnostics and animal health.

Note to editors:
Bacterial genomics are important because of their role in human and animal health as well as in the agri-food and other industries (fermentation bacteria for beer, dairy products and wine, and enzymes used in various branches of industry). In the human health field, they are implicated in the areas such as the resurgence of old diseases such as tuberculosis, the biggest killer disease in the world (3 million deaths in 2000; 35 million predicted between 2000 and 2020), growing resistance to antibiotics, toxic infections like gastro-enteritis, salmonella and listeria, as well as the increasing incidence of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. In agri-food, bacteria are important in fermentation processes, where selection of the bacteria used can bring competitive advantage, and can for example be the basis for improved insecticide molecules. In other industries, bacteria can and will play a part in removing pollution and in conferring resistance to extreme climatic conditions.

About GENOME express
GENOME express, Grenoble, France, develops and markets high value-added solutions for functional genomics and pharmacogenomics. Its expertise covers a variety of disciplines including micro-biology (library manufacturing), molecular biology (high throughput sequencing) and bioinformatics (proprietary software). Under development are an integrated genomics and proteomics platform designed to enable GENOME express to engage in proprietary target discovery. Siparex Ventures was lead banker for the fund-raising with co-lead Sud Partners (Sudinnovas fund management arm). Other investors were 3i, the original institutional investor, the Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild, Aquasourça, SPEF Venture and Biotek Partenaires. Since the financing round, the company has received a further million euro grant from Frances innovation agency, Anvar.