Rubicon Genomics Inc has been awarded two Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The awards, worth $200,000 over four months, will be used to improve and validate Rubicon's proprietary OmniPlex technology as a universal solution to increase the speed and efficiency of human DNA analysis for drug development and diagnostics. The technology will be validated at a Human Genome Center.

"Substantial improvements in high throughput DNA manipulation are needed to access the full power of genetics and facilitate efficient development of gene based drugs and diagnostics," said Fred G. Beyerlein, president and chief executive officer of Rubicon Genomics. "These grants will be used to dramatically increase the throughput and efficiency of OmniPlex as well as validate its robustness and accuracy in the hands of multiple researchers at a leading-edge Genome Center. Public validation of the technology is an important step, following on the success we are already enjoying with private institutions."

The first award entitled "Molecular Haplotyping of Large Genomic Distances of DNA" is for human chromosome molecular haplotyping, which independently profiles genes inherited paternally or maternally. Molecular haplotype analysis is a powerful tool for the analysis of gene function and provides the most precise tool for understanding the genetic basis of disease as a prelude to the development of more effective drugs and diagnostics.

The second award entitled "OmniPlex Technology to Fill Complex Sequence Gaps" is for technology needed to finish genome sequences, including humans, animals, plants and bacteria. Conventional sequencing methods, such as those used in the Human Genome Project, result in gaps in the final map that render the genome sequence incomplete. OmniPlex technology can be used to more quickly recover the missing information.