3624 Market Street
Suite 508
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-966-4064
www.morphotek.com

Nicholas C. Nicolaides, president, CEO and chief scientific officer
Privately Held

Overview

Founded in 2000, Morphotek is focused on developing genetically diverse organisms for agricultural, life science and pharmaceutical uses. The company employs its proprietary platform technology, “morphogenics” a process that uses a cell’s spellcheck capacity to alter genes in vivo to generate genetically diverse organisms with new biological characteristics.

Morphogenic organisms serve as a resource for isolating genes and uncovering their functions in microbes, plants and mammals, leading to identification of potential agricultural and pharmaceutical development targets. The company is using the technology for an antibody therapeutics program and to generate commercial crops naturally resistant to herbicides and the ripening effects of ethylene.

Morphotek raised $2 million in its first round of financing in 2000. In 2001, the company raised $10 million in its second round of financing to move to a larger facility and hire scientific and management personnel.

Partners

Morphotek has a collaborative research agreement with Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a division of American Home Products Corp., to develop cell lines for Wyeth's internal research and development programs in oncology.