Company Profile:

Development of a massively-parallel, single-molecule sequencing system that is capable of sequencing a human genome in less than a day for $1000 requires an integrated, interdisciplinary effort. To achieve this goal, VisiGen has assembled the following teams:

Chemistry: VisiGen's Chemistry Team selects, designs, and screens fluorescent dyes for sequencing detection, designs and synthesizes novel nucleotide triphosphates, and develops surface chemistries for sequencing complex immobilization that achieves optimal enzyme activity and low background fluorescence.

Molecular Biology: VisiGen's Molecular Biology Team designs and engineers modified polymerase for use in VisiGen's sequencing system, identifies optimally modified dNTPs by determining the relative efficiency at which each modified dNTP is incorporated, and optimizes reaction efficiency and accuracy by investigating factors that affect nucleotide incorporation.

Detection Technologies: VisiGen's Detection Team has designed fully integrated, massively parallel single molecule detection systems for use in production-scale DNA analysis. They are increasing the systems' sensitivity by altering factors affecting fluorophore emission properties, including design of the acceptor-labeled nucleotides and donor-labeled polymerase, reaction components, and surface chemistry on which the massively parallel reactions occur.

Software Design & Development: VisiGen's Software Team members are inventing novel algorithms and methods for digital signal processing and recognition, database design, statistical analysis, bioinformatics, and data mining.

Description of Proposed Sequencing Methodology:

VisiGen Biotechnologies, Inc., is developing a sequencing platform that will enable comprehensive genome analysis. VisiGen scientists have engineered polymerase and nucleotides to act together as direct molecular sensors of DNA sequence information. Cutting-edge technologies, including single-molecule detection, fluorescent molecule chemistry, computational biochemistry, and biomolecule engineering, are combined to create this revolutionary platform. During nucleotide incorporation energy transfers from the donor fluorophore within the polymerase to the acceptor fluorophore attached to the gamma-phosphate of the nucleotide, stimulating the emission of a base-type-specific signature. Because the acceptor fluorophore is naturally removed during nucleotide incorporation, this strategy enables real-time sequence determination. The technology is scalable: these nanosequencing machines will be monitored in massively parallel arrays to produce a sequencing platform that will be capable of collecting sequence data at rates approaching 1 million bases per second.

Team Quote:

Genome sequence information opens the door to a person’s future and their past. The launching of the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics will help to focus attention on technologies that promise to revolutionize basic research, forensic science, and medicine. In particular, personalized medicine is projected to positively impact human health and reduce overall health care costs by facilitating early diagnosis and targeted disease monitoring, and by enabling customized drug therapies. Society must also prepare for the use of this very personal information to ensure that it is properly safeguarded. This announcement by the X PRIZE Foundation should encourage development of appropriate measures regarding genetic privacy so that these measures are in place before deployment of a technology with the capability of sequencing a human genome in less than a day for $1000.

The ability to sequence a human genome in less than a day for $1K requires the development of a disruptive technology - a technology that approaches the problem at the single-molecule level (to reach the cost target) and in massively-parallel arrays (to reach the throughput target). VisiGen is developing a technology that meets these critical requirements.

We are engineering polymerase, the enzyme that synthesizes DNA within a cell, and nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, to act as direct molecular sensors of base identity during DNA replication. Further, these nanosequencing machines are monitored in massively parallel arrays during DNA replication to produce DNA sequence information.

VisiGen's efforts are supported by DARPA, NIH, SeqWright, and Applied Biosystems.

When the Archon X PRIZE is awarded, a technology will have been deployed that is capable of changing science, medicine, and society.

Currently, the majority of applications are projected to be in medicine - personalized medicine (making it proactive) and personalized therapeutics (prescribing medicine to an individual based on their genetic makeup). However, VisiGen's DARPA roots make us aware of the possibility that our technology may be used for bio-defense (characterizing a potential bioterror agent).

Beginning tonight, people around the world will begin thinking about other uses for and implications of this amazing capability.

VisiGen applauds the X PRIZE Foundation for directing the world's attention towards the future - a future that may not be so far away.

VisiGen is honored to join the competition for the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics.