Gene Cloning - PR Newswire

From: David A. Kekich (kekich@lifeex.com)
Date: Mon Dec 06 1999 - 08:08:35 MST


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Invitrogen Launches Revolutionary New Cloning Product; Echo Cloning
System Enables Fast, Reliable Cloning Into Multiple Expression
Systems

     SAN DIEGO, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:
IVGN)
today introduced the Echo(TM) Cloning System, which makes possible fast
and
reliable cloning of any gene into multiple expression vectors. The Echo

System dramatically reduces the time and effort associated with cloning
DNA
for expression analysis, speeding the drug research and discovery
process.
     The first commercially available system of its kind, the Echo System

brings Invitrogen's highly-efficient TOPO(R) Cloning technology and its
advanced expression systems together with a novel univector
plasmid-fusion
system developed by Stephen J. Elledge, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry
at
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Baylor will be paid a royalty
under a
license agreement with Invitrogen.
     "Echo Cloning makes obsolete the need for traditional subcloning, a
troublesome, time-consuming step in gene expression and analysis," said
Lyle
Turner, Chairman and CEO of Invitrogen. "Using Invitrogen's efficient
TOPO
Cloning technology, scientists now need to clone and sequence a
construct only
once. The clone is then recombined or 'echoed' into other expression
vectors
-- ranging from bacterial to mammalian cells -- simultaneously. The
process
works on any gene and can be automated, providing a tremendous time
saver for
researchers."
     The Echo System can be used by any scientist who wants to accelerate
the
cloning process, according to Turner, but could prove especially
valuable for
high-volume users such as pharmaceutical companies and large research
foundations who can use the system to facilitate high-throughout gene
cloning
and reduce the time and costs associated with identifying and validating
new
drug targets and developing new therapeutics.
     "The Echo System expands the high-throughput cloning product and
service
offerings of our Invitrogenomics program by adding high-throughput
subcloning
and expression analysis, further accelerating target identification and
validation," Turner said.
     "Last week, landmark results of the Human Genome Project were
announced
with the completion of the sequencing of human chromosome 22," said
Turner.
"This significant development marks just the beginning of the research
that
will need to be done. The genes that are identified from this
chromosome and
subsequent structural analysis of chromosomes will provide scientists
with the
knowledge of the gene sequence. Broad, new functional studies will now
need
to be mounted to find out what these genes can do individually, and the
Echo
System will allow scientists to quickly clone and express these genes
into
multiple host systems and make proteins for experimentation. A process
that
was previously slow and unreliable now becomes quick and accurate thanks
to
the new Echo System."
     Invitrogen's TOPO Cloning is used in functional genomics research
and
gene-based drug discovery and has become the dominant PCR (Polymerase
Chain
Reaction) cloning technique among researchers worldwide. Invitrogen
holds
exclusive worldwide commercial rights to the TOPO Cloning patent,
granted to
the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, for the life of the
patent,
which expires in 2015.
     "We are giving our customers the power of TOPO at the first step in
the
cloning process," said Turner, "and with the addition of Echo Cloning,
plasmid
fusions can be quickly prepared for expression in Invitrogen's
expression
systems or any other expression system being used by the customer."
     For more information on the Echo System, visit the following page on

Invitrogen's web site at http://www.invitrogen.com/catalog_echo.html.
     Invitrogen develops, manufactures and markets research tools in kit
form
and provides other research products and services to corporate, academic
and
government entities. The company's kits and products simplify and
improve
gene cloning, gene expression and gene analysis techniques as well as
other
molecular biology activities. Through its Invitrogenomics program, the
company also provides gene cloning and expression services on a contract
basis
using its high-throughput gene cloning and expression technology.
Invitrogen
is headquartered in San Diego, California and operates European
facilities in
The Netherlands and Germany. More information on Invitrogen can be
found on
the company's Web site at http://www.invitrogen.com.

     Certain statements contained in this news release are
"forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act
of 1995. Statements relating to efficiency, usefulness, automation,
speed and
cost savings of existing and new products and future uses of those
products
are prospective. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a
number of
risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results
to
differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include,
but
are not limited to, successful development, commercialization and market

acceptance of new products and services, proper licensing of
technologies, and
competition as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time
to
time in Invitrogen Corporation's Securities and Exchange Commission
filings.

SOURCE Invitrogen Corporation
Web Site: http://www.invitrogen.com

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--
David A. Kekich
LifeEx Technologies, LLC
175 Whispering Pines Estates
Johnstown, PA 15905 USA
Tele. 814-255-6005/Fax 814-255-3418
http://www.LifeEx.com
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