DNA Software Receives NIH SBIR Phase I Grant to Develop Advanced,
High-throughput PCR Design Software
Ann Arbor, Mich. – April 2, 2002
— The National Institute of Health (NIH) has awarded DNA
Software a Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR)
Phase I Grant to enhance its existing Oligonucleotide Modeling
Platform (OMP) to enable automated high-throughput design of
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) primers for amplification of
a single target and a simplified multiplex format. The developed
software will include the ability to optimize reaction conditions
in silico and utilize a rigorous equilibrium model for hybridization
which will be used to predict the product distribution after
each step of PCR.
“This is the company’s first federally
funded grant,” according to Mark Kielb, company president,
“and we are very excited at the opportunity to apply our
detailed knowledge of DNA thermodynamics to the next generation
of PCR assays.”
According to Svetlana Morosyuk, DNA Software
senior scientist and the grant’s principal investigator,
“Single target PCR is very robust and works about 95% of
the time. However, reliability drops for more difficult PCR
reactions, such as the multiplex format, difficult templates,
and high-throughput applications.” DNA Software outlined
three specific aims for the grant:
- Develop a graphical user interface specific
for PCR design including
- Extend the functionality of OMP for single
target and multiplex PCR primer design.
- Perform validation experiments for OMP predictions.
The company expects to complete work on Phase
I by the end of the summer 2002.
About DNA Software, Inc.
DNA Software, Inc. combines science and software
to enable industrial genomics through advances in technologies
based on nucleic acids. The company’s first software platform,
OMP (Oligonucleotide Modeling Platform,) models in silico
the folding and hybridization of single-stranded nucleic acids
with great accuracy. The company combines OMP with scientific
consulting, custom software development, and custom laboratory
research to deliver state-of-the-art support for designing and
developing of nucleic acid based technologies. For more information
on DNA Software, Inc., visit our website at http://www.dnasoftware.com.
CONTACT:
DNA Software, Inc.
204 East Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Office: +1 (734) 222-9080
Toll-Free: +1 (877) 362-7638
Fax: +1 (734) 222-9087
Email: info@dna-software.com
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