454 Life Sciences and Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Announce Genomics Collaboration

454 Life Sciences Corporation announced a collaboration with Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre (MGRC) based upon applying high-speed DNA sequencing and bioinformatics technologies for the characterization of tropical organisms and diseases.

454 Life Sciences and MGRC will work together on applying the launched high-throughput Genome Sequencer FLX System™ (GS FLX) to spearhead the adoption and wide-spread deployment of genomics and bioinformatics projects in Malaysia.

The collaboration was formally announced at a signing ceremony at the BIO International Convention in Boston, MA. The ceremony was officiated by the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

"Malaysia is investing significant resources in establishing itself as a regional hub for biotechnology research and industrialization," said Christopher McLeod, President and CEO of 454 Life Sciences. "We are delighted and excited to be involved as a partner with MGRC to help realize the full potential of genomics in Malaysia."

454 Life Sciences and MGRC will be collaborating on a number of high-profile projects from the Malaysian academic community.

Munirah Hamid, Executive Director of MGRC commented, "Genomics and bioinformatics have become fundamental, must-have technologies for advancing biological research. The 454 Life Sciences DNA sequencing platforms have enabled previously impractical projects to be pursued due to their combination of high accuracy, high throughput and lower cost of DNA sequencing."

MGRC services are provided with the support of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), an agency under the purview of the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. BiotechCorp's objective is to support and accelerate growth of the Malaysian biotechnology industry.