Overview

EmerGen is a genomics company that researches disease genes affecting the health of women and children. With insights made possible through genetic discoveries, EmerGen is dedicated to finding the underlying causes and biological pathways of diseases. The company has active research programs in the areas of maternal and fetal medicine with particular focus on congenital heart disease, fertility, birth defects and other developmental problems. By focusing on the developmental stages of life, EmerGen expects to identify genes active during the formative period and critical biological pathways that are not apparent during later stages. The company hopes these discoveries will lead to new treatments and new diagnostic tests

EmerGen was founded largely on the work of University of Utah researcher Kenneth Ward. EmerGen holds rights to several hundred thousand DNA samples collected by the university, and uses them to take a population- and family-oriented approach to gene function research.

Partners

As EmerGen’s expertise lies in the research and discovery stage of the process, it will partner with pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other biotechnology companies to implement and bring new tests and therapies to market.

Joint development program to develop tools for mutation screening: Micromass UK Ltd.