Collaborative Research Inc. (CRI) has received a $1.5 millioncontract and a $500,000 Phase II small business innovationresearch (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health forgenomic research.

Under the contract, a three-year award from the NationalInstitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), CRI willprovide genome research support for the NINDS projects ingenetic mapping, cloning and sequencing of neurologic diseasegenes. CRI said this would consist of preparing templates forDNA sequencing, performing whole genome scanning to mapthe location of genes and screening the company's yeastartificial chromosome (YAC) libraries for clones correspondingto specific chromosomal regions.

CRI will use the SBIR grant from the National Center for HumanGenome Research to develop the technology of computer-assisted multiplex genotyping. CRI explained that thisgenotyping process involves analysis of markers spanning theentire human genome to identify chromosomal regionsassociated with disease. Such analysis would typically beperformed on large families with an inherited form of diseaseto identify genetic differences between family membersaffected by the disease and those free from it, CRI said.

CRI (NASDAQ:CRIC) of Waltham, Mass., noted that it has beenawarded more than $16 million in contracts and grants since1991, including:

-- a $945,000 grant from the Department of Energy to improvetechnology for cloning, sequencing and manipulating largefragments of DNA;

-- a $500,000 award from the National Cancer Institute todevelop a DNA probe test for the prediction of debrisoquinemetabolism phenotype;

-- and a $500,000 Phase II SBIR from the National Institute ofGeneral Medical Sciences to develop a multiplex DNA diagnostictest technology. -- Brenda Sandburg

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