OBBeC.com

Cambridge, MA (OBBeC) - Helicos BioSciences, a life science company focused on genetic analysis technologies for the research, drug discovery, and diagnostic markets, has announced a scientific collaboration with a genomics research group at Sweden's Uppsala University aimed at gaining new insights into how genome structure plays a key role in the ways genes are regulated within cells.

 

According to the announcement, the Uppsala team, led by Claes Wadelius, will work with Helicos scientists on a research plan designed to utilize Helicos' proprietary True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS) technology to investigate changes in the cell nucleus that occur in the presence of growth factors. This includes changes in the structure of the protein-DNA complexes that make up chromosomes and how they interact with transcription factors that bind DNA. This information will help provide a more complete understanding of how structural features of the genome affect gene expression.

"The ability of the Helicos technology to determine sequence information from individual molecules of DNA and RNA allows an unbiased, high-resolution view of cellular gene regulation," said Uppsala University's Wadelius.

The Uppsala team will utilize its experience from the ENCODE (Encyclopedia Of DNA Elements) consortium, an international network of research institutions working to identify and characterize all functional elements within the human genome. The collaboration will rely on the vast expertise of the Uppsala University research group in examining critical questions of genome biology and the accuracy of true direct DNA measurement.

The research partnership will investigate what happens to the genetic architecture of cells when they are exposed to growth factors. The exposures result in changes at the DNA level in the structure of nucleosomes -- the fundamental repeated units of chromosomes -- as well as in transcription factor binding and their role in altering subsequent gene activity. The level and timing of gene activity is a critical factor for a wide range of healthy cellular function, such as immune response, as well as many diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

"One of the keys to a full understanding of genome biology is the ability to effectively integrate what we know about genome structure with the complex interactions between DNA and molecules in the cell that control gene activity," explained Helicos Chief Scientific Officer Patrice Milos. "We are privileged to be working with the Uppsala scientists, as they have played such a crucial role in exploring the genome. They share our excitement about the opportunity afforded by Helicos' single molecule sequencing approach to unravel the secrets of genome structure and function."