Europe's first industrial genome project
using 454 technology delivered by GATC

Konstanz (December 2006) - GATC is the first sequencing company in Europe to deliver sequence data of a genome produced on a GS 20* sequencing machine to an industrial corporate group. This 454 data will be assembled in combination with sequence data produced with the classic Sanger technology using DNASTAR's SeqMan Pro(TM) software. The genome project will be finished and ready for publication in January 2007. Project details will be revealed at a later date due to confidentiality reasons.

GATC announced at the end of October to be the first sequencing company to to provide 454 data for genome sequencing. Combining the traditional Sanger technology with the new 454 technology, genomes can be sequenced and analysed in half the usual project time, with a considerable reduction in the number of contigs and gaps and with considerable cost advantages .

*GS 20 is a trademark of Roche Diagnostics

About GATC:
GATC Biotech (www.gatc-biotech.com), with headquarters in Constance, Germany, is a leading provider of molecular biological services and innovative bioinformatics solutions for industry and academia worldwide. GATC’s portfolio contains services in the areas of genome sequencing, high throughput and custom sequencing, transcriptomics and functional analysis, complemented by a wide range of bioinformatic software, e.g. Lasergene™ (DNA sequence analysis software) by DNASTAR Inc., ERGO™ (Genome Analysis Suite) by Integrated Genomics, as well as Mutation Surveyor™/Mutation Explorer™ (DNA variant analysis software) and GeneMarker™ (Software for AFLP and genotyping) by SoftGenetics. Today, GATC has 45 employees and serves 3000 customers in 40 countries. In 2005 GATC celebrated its 15th anniversary. Most of GATC‘s employees are scientists with long-term experience in biotechnology, molecular biology and chemistry. GATC has subsidiaries in Cambridge (UK) and Marseille (F) as well as offices in Tägerwilen (CH), Edinburgh (UK), Munich and Hamburg. The company is ISO-certified since 1997.

Contact:
Elke Decker

Senior Director Marketing
Jakob-Stadler-Platz 7
D- 78467 Konstanz
Tel: +49-7531-8160-36
Fax:+49-7531-8160-81
e.decker@gatc-biotech.com