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Inventor of molecular combing technology and founder of the company, Bensimon brings unique know-how and 20 years of experience in molecular biology to Genomic Vision
Paris, July 31 2006 -
Genomic Vision, a developer of novel diagnostic and drug discovery solutions
based on its world-leading nanotechnology for DNA analysis in the areas of
cancer and acute diseases, announces today the appointment of Dr Aaron
Bensimon as President and CEO. Founder of the company, he will lead Genomic
Vision and will be assisted by Dr Daniel Nerson, Chief Operating Officer, who
has more than 15 years experience in sales and marketing in the pharmaceutical
and biological sector.
"I took the decision to
leave my job as researcher and commit myself 100 per cent to the development
of Genomic Vision as I want to see my enterprise creation initiative through
to a successful conclusion," said Dr Bensimon. "Making sure
Genomic Vision benefits fully from my experience in molecular combing is for
me a practical result of years of research. I am delighted to have recruited a
team of highly competent members to bring swiftly to market tangible
improvements in early diagnosis and drug discovery."
Bensimon, 49, has a Ph.D. in
molecular biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and has
been head of the Genome Stability Unit at the Institut Pasteur since 1994. He
discovered molecular combing technology and its use in very precise study of
genomes while working on a collaborative project with the Statistical Physics
Laboratory at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Since then, this type of
nanotechology has resulted in the granting of 13 patents, all the property of
the Institut Pasteur and for all of which Genomic Vision has an exclusive
license. Molecular combing allows the direct visualization of genomic
anomalies on the DNA molecule thus making possible the early diagnosis of
cancer or genetic diseases or the validation of therapeutic molecules.
In 1995, Dr Bensimon received the
Jacques Monod prize, awarded by the Fondation de France to young scientists
who have made significant advances in the early years of their career. From
1992-93, he worked in the laboratory of Prof. J-P Changeux at the Institut
Pasteur, Paris. His research covered the study of the implication of the
myogenin gene in muscular denervation. This assignment was financed by a
prestigious grant from the Human Frontier Science Program Organization
obtained following completion of his doctorate.
Dr Bensimon has also completed a management course "Challenges+" at France's leading business school, HEC, and is a regular speaker at scientific conferences.
About Genomic
Vision
http://genomicvision.com
Genomic Vision develops novel
diagnostic and drug discovery solutions based on its world-leading
nanotechnology for DNA analysis in the areas of cancer and acute diseases. The
company uses a powerful technique, Molecular Combing Technology, for the
direct visualization of single DNA molecules to detect quantitative and
qualitative changes in the genome landscape and establish their contribution
to pathology. Genomic Vision holds an exclusive license for the technology
from the Pasteur Institute.
Genomic Vision's solutions are aimed at customers in the R&D sector of the diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries. The company is focused on three key areas:
Genomic Vision's headquarters and
biological research facilities are located in the Pasteur Institute, Paris,
France. The company also has a representative office located in Cambridge, MA,
USA and is supported by a network of collaborations with leading academic
researchers and clinicians. The company raised EUR 2 million in November 2005
from SGAM (Société Générale Asset Management).
http://www.genomicvision.com
About Molecular Combing
Molecular Combing is a powerful
technique for the direct visualization of single DNA molecules attached,
uniformly and irreversibly, to specially-treated glass surfaces. This
technology considerably improves the structural and functional analysis of DNA
across the genome. Molecular Combing is a technology capable of exploring the
entire genome at high resolution in a single analysis. It provides clear
visualization of genomic anomalies in multiple aligned DNA molecules, and has
led to novel findings with implications in cancer genomics and medicine.
The technology is based on the binding of DNA molecules to chemically-vinyl silane-treated glass surfaces. One or both extremities of the DNA molecules present in a solution spontaneously bind to these treated surfaces when the surface is dipped into the solution. As the surface is slowly pulled out of the solution, the molecules are "combed".
As a result of the combing
process, the DNA fibers are irreversibly attached, stretched and aligned
uniformly in parallel to each other over the entire surface. Therefore, the
physical distance measured with optical microscopy is proportional to the
length of the DNA molecule.
It is therefore possible to
identify genetic anomalies and to localize genes or particular sequences that
hybridize to selected probes in the human genomes (or indeed in any plant or
animal genome) features that in many instances cannot be detected by other
methods.
For more information please
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