Epigenomics, a Berlin-based biotechnology company, on behalf of the Human Epigenome Consortium (HEC), announced today that the European Commission has supported a pilot project initiative by some members of the HEC to map the DNA methylation patterns of the entire human genome, the Human Epigenome Project, with a Euro 1.2 million grant. DNA methylation, a chemical modification of one of the four bases of DNA, is used in the normal functioning of cells to switch genes off and prevent them from expressing the proteins that instruct the cell to perform specific functions. The HEC believes that the detection and interpretation of these DNA methylation patterns as a fundamentally new layer of biological information will lead to a more complete and clearer understanding of complex disease.

\"The EU grant will provide members of the Human Epigenome Consortium with additional funds to achieve its major objective - genome-scale mapping of DNA methylation,\" noted Alexander Olek, CEO of Epigenomics. \"The Consortium brings together world class scientists who will quickly advance the Human Epigenome Project to accelerate the unraveling of the genetic origins of disease.\"

The project team consists of Epigenomics and academic collaborators from the Sanger Centre (UK) and Centre National de Génotypage (France). The HEC further includes the German Cancer Research Centre, Technical University of Berlin and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics (Germany). It was established to develop integrated technologies that divulge an individual\'s epigenotype or Digital Phenotype®, a digitized readout of DNA methylation patterns that describes whether a particular cell is healthy or not.

The European Commission grant was awarded to help standardize and automate a procedure for identifying the position of methylated bases in human DNA. The initiative outlined in the proposal submitted by Epigenomics was found to be in line with EU research policy which, through advances in life sciences research, aims to improve the quality of life for European citizens.

\"Even after sequencing of the human genome is completed, we believe many fundamental questions concerning the genetic mechanisms of life will remain unanswered,\" stated Stephan Beck, Head of Sequencing at the Sanger Center, Cambridge, UK.\"The technology developed by Epigenomics for pinpointing methylated DNA may prove to be very important in uncovering the relevant biological information. This grant will support the work of European-based scientists and allows them to remain at the forefront of this breakthrough discipline.\"

Epigenomics is creating an integrated genomics-based technology with the potential to revolutionize the development of personalized medicines. By detecting and interpreting DNA methylation patterns (5th BASE Genomics®) in different cells of the same person, Epigenomics has uncovered a new layer of biological information that will enable a more complete and clearer detection of complex disease. These DNA methylation signals, comparable to a genetic switch, can be digitized to create a Digital Phenotype® that reflects the genetic activity of a particular cell, i.e., whether the cell is healthy or sick. Epigenomics\' sophisticated machine learning methods extract valuable information from these extremely high dimensional data to form the basis of a diagnostic component of personalized medicines. In December 1999, Epigenomics established the Human Epigenome Consortium with the Sanger Centre (UK), Centre National de Génotypage (France), German Cancer Research Centre, Technical University of Berlin and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics (Germany) to reveal the entire epigenetic information content of the human genome. Based in Berlin, Germany, Epigenomics currently employs a team of 50. For additional information , please visit our web site at www.epigenomics.com.