Genome Express launches Gextrack, for food identification through DNA analysis

Grenoble, France, October 12 2004 — GENOME express, the DNA analysis specialist, announces today "Gextrack", a new range of services in the field of food identification. The launch coincides with the International Food Exhibition, SIAL (Salon International de l'Alimentation), October 17-21 in Paris. In bringing Gextrack to market, GENOME express has leveraged its expertise in molecular biology to provide the food industry with an answer to complying with European regulations on traceability, monitoring and conformity of products.

Gextrack is based on the analysis of DNA and uses patents from academic laboratories based in Lyon (CNRS, UCBL, ENS). The DNA molecule has the great advantage of being unique for each individual living organism and species. It also resists changes through the different stages of transformation of a product. These include mixture, cooking, freezing and canning. Analysis of the DNA therefore allows precise identification and analysis of the different components present in a food product, whether it is a fresh or a processed product.

Gextrack can provide solutions for the different consumer information regulations requiring product labelling such as GMOs, allergenic ingredients traceability, authentication of products. These include:

— Authentication of the product (example: Is this fish fillet really sole?) — Analysis of food product ingredients (example: Does this duck foie gras only contain duck?)
— Detection of allergens (example: Are there traces of nuts in this cereal bar?)
— Monitoring feed ingredients (example: This feed does not contain any products of animal origin)
— Detection of GM ingredients
— The presence or absence of an ingredient in a processed product (example: This dish does not contain any pork)

"Gextrack will be of enormous value to the agri-food industry and large distribution chains," says Franck Robert, Head of the Gextrack project at GENOME express. "At GENOME express, we say we can make DNA 'talk' and Gextrack shows how it is possible to use the genetic code, unique for each individual organism, whether it's of animal or vegetable origin, to distinguish, identify and analyse the different species present in a food product, whether it is in its raw state or processed."

"GENOME express now has ten years' experience as a DNA specialist and is the leading private DNA sequencing specialist for research. This unique experience of DNA analysis allows us to offer this new range of service," says Warren Barton, GENOME express' CEO. "Gextrack's main targets are the agri-food industry and food retailers, but can also provide an effective solution for any sector with a need for DNA identification."

Visit GENOME express at SIAL in Paris (Villepinte) October 17-21
Hall 5A Stand F 046


About GENOME express
In business since 1994, GENOME express specializes in DNA analysis for customers in human and animal healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agri-food and academic research. DNA contains the genetic code of living species and contains the key to understanding living organisms. GENOME express offers a team of experts, proprietary technologies and an optimised process that together form a unique molecular biology and bioinformatics platform. Using its DNA sequencing core business expertise, GENOME express has developed services and high value added solutions that allow its customers to interpret the generated data quickly and efficiently.

Analysis and identification services include:

DNA sequencing

Food ingredient specification

Bacterial identification

GENOME express also offers custom solutions including an R&D outsourcing facility covering molecular biology and bioinformatics, such as genomic exploration and identification of new markers, Š

To assist customers in conforming to European regulatory directives, GENOME express provides a range of services dedicated to identifying the content and origin of food through DNA analysis. These services include the detection of allergenic ingredients or other contaminants (GMOs, Š), and address the needs of the food industry.

For further information: www.genome-express.com

Source: Genome Express

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LemnaGene SA opens its biomanufacturing facility and has produced its first transgenic Spirodela

Lyon, France; September 27, 2004 — LemnaGene SA, a recently founded biomanufacturing company using the aquatic plant Spirodela from the Lemnaceae family, as its production platform, recently opened its new laboratory and biomanufacturing facility in the incubation space for new projects, located at the "Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon" (France) (ENS Lyon). This will allow LemnaGene to provide a full range of biomanufacturing services to the Pharmaceutical, Vaccine, Veterinarian, Diagnostic, Nutraceutical and Industrial Protein markets. LemnaGene SA also announced the production of its first transgenic Spirodela containing genes of interest to industrial partners.

Georges Freyssinet, the CEO of LemnaGene SA commented, "this new facility is a big plus for us. We can now produce efficiently transgenic Spirodela in a very nice environment. In addition, being inside the Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon allows us to work with high level scientific teams and have access to facilities and equipments which will speed up our development".

Michel van der Rest, Research Director at ENS Lyon commented, "The ENS Lyon is developing a clearly defined policy for the technology transfer of its research. With the aim of doing this, we are happy to host LemnaGene in our buildings within the framework of a research collaboration with the team of Thierry Gaude (Laboratoire de Reproduction et Développement des Plantes). LemnaGene will benefit from the expertise of this team and the equipments of this laboratory".

LemnaGene SA has been established in October 2003 in Lyon, France with the support of US and French private investors and a 400,000 Euro grant from the French Ministry of Research, grant managed by ANVAR (Agence Nationale de Valorisation de la Recherche). LemnaGene has received support from Créalys, the incubator from "Rhône-Alpes Ouest", and the Novacité label from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon.

LemnaGene SA has an exclusive license from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, on know-how and patents developed by Weizmann scientists and has secured several additional licenses on enabling technologies. Agreements have been entered into with three development partners to validate the industrial feasibility of the LemnaGene platform for several genes of commercial interest.


Source: LemnaGene

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Genome Express offers 10,000 free sequences to mark 10 years in DNA sequence analysis business

Grenoble, 24 September 2004 — GENOME express, leading provider of DNA sequencing services to the French market, announced today that it is offering 10,000 free sequences, the equivalent of five bacterial genomes, in a prize-draw open to all public and private sector researchers worldwide. Those wishing to try their luck should go to GENOME express's website www.genome-express.com from 15 October 2004.

GENOME express, founded in 1994, specializes in DNA analysis for customers in human and animal healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agri-food and academic research. It offers a team of experts, proprietary technologies, and an optimized process that together form a unique molecular biology and bioinformatics platform.

"GENOME express has built upon standard sequencing tools to develop a production-level sequencing platform that brings significant added value to our customers," said François Pons, director of business development at GENOME express. "Ten years of accumulated know-how and development activity have gone into our bioinformatics and other proprietary tools. We don't just offer raw data to our customers but relevant and reliable information. We like to say that we 'can help make DNA talk' for our customers."

"To celebrate our ten years in business, and to let people try for themselves, we are offering 10,000 sequences in a prize draw that will take place in December," he added.

Today several thousand customers use GENOME express services. Daily capacity has risen by two orders of magnitude and annual sequence data production is roughly equivalent to one third of the human genome.

In addition to the DNA sequencing activities, GENOME express provides solutions to complex challenges in the fields of comparative genomics and transcriptomics, food identification, particularly the identification of allergens.

The company expects to have ISO 9001-2000 certification in December this year.

"We are proud to have already achieved 10 years in business, an impressive record for a biotechnology company," said Warren Barton, CEO of GENOME express. "Our business is built on solid foundations with significant sales growth for 2004. We expect to continue growing, building on our core activity of DNA analysis to develop exciting new products and services in food identification/analysis."


About GENOME express
In business since 1994, GENOME express specialises in DNA analysis for customers in human and animal healthcare, pharmaceuticals, agri-food and academic research. It offers a team of experts, proprietary technologies, and an optimised process that together form a unique molecular biology and bioinformatics platform.

Using its DNA sequencing core business expertise, GENOME express has developed services and high value added solutions that allow its customers to interpret the data generated quickly and efficiently.

GENOME express also offers custom solutions including an R&D outsourcing facility covering many areas of molecular biology, such as genomic exploration, identification of new markers and bacterial identification.

For further information: http://www.genomex.com

Source: Genome Express

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Genome Express and Institut Pasteur sign partnership agreement

Institut Pasteur accord underscores added value of GENOME express's functional genomics platform for research teams in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrifood sectors

Grenoble, France, July 27 2004 — GENOME express, developer and provider of high added value solutions in functional genomics, announces today that it has signed a partnership agreement with the Institut Pasteur. Under the terms of the agreement, the Institut Pasteur will be able to access the range of tools available on GENOME express's functional genomics platform, in particular in the field of bacterial genomics, under favorable conditions. The agreement applies to Pasteur's internal research programs. Financial terms are undisclosed.

For GENOME express, the deal means a highly credible endorsement of its technology platform, particularly in the fields of microbiology, as well as making the platform a widely used tool by scientists throughout the Institut Pasteur. The agreement also allows for future co-development of products and services that bring together Pasteur's biology expertise and GENOME express's technology platform for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agrifood industry customers.

The Institut Pasteur will benefit from the tools and technical know-how of GENOME express and the special access terms granted by GENOME express. Building on its knowledge and experience of sequencing and bioinformatics, GENOME express has developed and is now marketing proprietary methods in the field of genomics and comparative transcriptomics. These methods allow academic or industry customers to accelerate their research processes in areas such as the discovery of new molecular diagnostic markers, strain identification, identification of new targets, and adopting appropriate vaccine strategies.

"Institut Pasteur enjoys an international reputation for its work in microbiology and infectious diseases, and this agreement is an impressive endorsement of our technology platform," said Warren Barton, chairman and CEO of GENOME express. "It illustrates our commitment to providing real, significant and competitive benefits to our customers and helping them to optimize the value chain in the discovery process."

"We have already achieved useful research results by using GENOME express tools, in particular in the field of comparative genomics related to molecular epidemiology," said Stewart Cole, director of the Institut Pasteur Genopole. "This agreement opens up for us a range of new possibilities using GENOME express's expertise."


About GENOME express
GENOME express, Grenoble, France, is a leading provider of DNA sequencing services and also develops and markets a range of high value-added solutions for functional genomics. The company offers a unique platform that integrates innovative and proprietary tools for genomics, comparative transcriptomics (gene expression analysis). These tools are linked to an advanced bioinformatics platform comprising GenoStar for bacterial genomic exploration, Syn-Quence^TM for the discovery and identification of SNPs, and PepMap for the identification of proteins via the genomic mapping of mass spectrometry data. Building on its success and experience as a service provider, GENOME express is currently making its platform accessible to private sector researchers and academics. This will be done through partnerships with customers in the diagnostics, pharmaceutical and veterinary sectors enabling them to outsource their R&D projects either in part or totally.

For further information: http://www.genomex.com

Source: Genome Express

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