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Human Genome News, September 1993; 5(3)

Taq Polymerase Available at Reduced Rate

A new pricing agreement negotiated by NIH between federally supported genome programs and a commercial supplier of AmpliTaq® will allow genome researchers to purchase large quantities of the enzyme at a reduced rate. Manufactured by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., and sold by Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Taq polymerase is a key enzyme used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Each year investigators working in a single Human Genome Project laboratory perform up to 200,000 reactions that would cost about $100,000 under previous pricing agreements

Perkin-Elmer and Roche have also established a matching volume-for-volume grant program for the 17 Genome Science and Technology Centers (called GESTECs) supported by the NIH National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR). DOE-designated genome centers are also eligible under the agreement. In addition, Perkin-Elmer will supply AmpliTaq to institutions in bulk form with a pricing schedule dependent upon the amount purchased each year.

"The new agreement will enhance our ability to carry out the genome project in a cost-effective way," said NCHGR Director Francis Collins. "We are fully behind any reasonable efforts to save public dollars." Collins also stated that the two companies are offering to collaborate with genome centers to help develop new applications of PCR and DNA analysis and are not requesting special rights to any technologies in exchange for the grants.


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The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v5n3).

Human Genome Project 1990–2003

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international 13-year effort, 1990 to 2003. Primary goals were to discover the complete set of human genes and make them accessible for further biological study, and determine the complete sequence of DNA bases in the human genome. See Timeline for more HGP history.

Human Genome News

Published from 1989 until 2002, this newsletter facilitated HGP communication, helped prevent duplication of research effort, and informed persons interested in genome research.