TGen News & Press Releases

• Written by Steve Yozwiak /
• Posted Wednesday June 29, 2005

TGen Receives 2005 Bio-IT Grand Prize Award

Annual contest honors innovations in research and drug discovery

Washington, DC, June 29, 2005 -- Bio-IT World magazine has named TGen among the grand prize winners of its third annual Best Practices Awards Program. The prestigious Bio-IT competition identifies the best strategies, technologies, and practices that are transforming the world of research and drug discovery. Entries are judged by a panel of eight industry experts plus Bio-IT World editors.

TGen was recognized for combining the leading microarray technology of Affymetrix and gene discovery software from Silicon Genetics to develop an industrial-style genotyping pipeline that has led to the rapid localization and identification of dozens of disease genes, including a form of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

"Amid extraordinarily tough competition, the accomplishments of the TGen group in developing a new industrial-strength genotyping platform really impressed the judges," said Dr. Kevin Davies, Editor-in-Chief of Bio-IT World. The TGen researchers have already mapped or identified dozens of disease genes, and we believe that other groups have a lot to learn from this model. "It's also very impressive that this world-class facility is being built away from the traditional US centers of science excellence."

Other winners include Pfizer Global R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Harvard Partners Center for Genetics and Genomics, the National Cancer Institute, and U.K. Trade & Investment.

A panel of expert judges reviewed 33 lengthy submissions from organizations ranging from large pharmaceutical and biotech companies to academic institutions.

"When one looks at the list of other institutions receiving this award and when you consider this national recognition is coming to an institute less than 3 years old, this is wonderfully gratifying," said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen's President and Scientific Director. "Additionally, it provides further validation for both the translational model being developed at TGen and the fact that Arizona is becoming nationally competitive in this area of bioscience."

The Best Practices Awards ceremony was held earlier this week at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Dr. Dietrich Stephan, head of TGen's Neurogenomics Division, accepted the award on behalf of TGen.

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Media Contacts:
Galen Perry (602) 343-8423
Amy Erickson (602) 343-8522

About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is to make and translate genomic discoveries into advances in human health. Translational genomics research is a relatively new field employing innovative advances arising from the human Genome Project to apply to the development of diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and other complex diseases.