Brief Description
While gene sequencing and gene expression technologies have become relatively industrialized, genetic analysis is a time-consuming, labor intensive, and rate-limiting step in drug discovery. DNA Sciences, Inc. removed this bottleneck by developing a high-throughput system that miniaturizes and automates genotyping.
The company's genotyping technology relied on microchannel electrophoretic DNA separation technology combined with fluorescent detection of PCR-amplified DNA. The company licensed the technology from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech Ltd. (Uppsala, Sweden) and its subsidiary Molecular Dynamics Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.). According to Hugh Rienhoff, chairman and CEO, the company's technology provides a 10-100-fold decrease in the cost of genotyping while increasing throughput by 10-100-fold relative to competing technologies.
Formerly known as Kiva Genetics.
Timeline
- 1998. Company founded.
- 2003. DNA Sciences, Inc. acquired by Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Inventors
Alexander Glazer, Richard Mathies,, Pankaj Singhal, Jin Xie