Press Release

NIH Awards Second SBIR Grant to Panomics, Inc.

Redwood City, Calif. April 2002—Panomics, Inc. has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will be devoted to the development of a rapid induction system for gene expression.

Led by President and CEO Dr. Jason Li, Panomics’ team of scientists will develop a rapid induction system for gene expression. Whereas existing gene expression systems operate at the level of transcriptional induction, this system is regulated at induction of translation. Gene expression can therefore be induced within minutes instead of hours.

The cornerstone of Panomics’ expression system is the protein antizyme, an inhibitor of polyantine production. Antizyme mRNA consists of two overlapping reading frames, so protein expression depends on translational frameshifting. A series of vectors based on this frameshift sequence will allow genes of interest to be transcribed but not translated until polyamines are introduced. The result is fast, controlled gene expression that can eventually be used for gene therapy applications.

“An interesting idea, innovative approach, well thought-out experiments, and [a] highly qualified investigator and his good team,” commented the NIH review group in their summary statement.