"The agents used in this new-patented approach “sense” the status of the database entries, while processing and updating the data..."

AlphaGene Announces the Award of 
Major New Patent in Bioinformatics

Woburn, MA, January 28, 2000 

AlphaGene, an integrated genomics company, today announced that the US Office of Patents and Trademarks has issued a patent for agents used in genomic databases. This patent adds protection to AlphaGene’s current development of sophisticated proprietary bioinformatics systems.

The patent covers the use of agents that implement continuous, selective database updates to proceed asynchronously with respect to the addition of new data into the database. These agents keep large and dynamic databases well annotated and up-to-date, while allowing users to keep long-running searches alive for entries meeting certain specific annotation criteria. Changes in methods of annotation or amount of data in the databases do not limit users who continue utilizing and researching the databases.

These agents overcome the problems associated with conventional methods for accessing databases which generally make use of systems which process the data one record at a time in a systematical, orderly, but cumbersome, fashion. Under a conventional, static database update process, the database is processed on a regular basis to make required changes, leading to inefficient use of resources. As the size of databases increase exponentially, especially in the field of genomics, conventional systems with the direct update system may cause failure or slowdowns when hardware speed cannot keep pace with the rate of data and annotation influx.

 The agents used in this new-patented approach “sense” the status of the database entries, while processing and updating the data and update only the pertinent criteria and annotations in the database. Of course, the remaining entries are left untouched. Dr. R. Mark Adams developed this system of agents as part of the AlphaGene effort to continue developing better genomic tools.

AlphaGene, Inc. is a functional genomics company developing novel technologies for gene discovery to accelerate drug development for major human diseases.  Building upon its patented core technologies, AlphaGene has developed an integrated platform that includes gene arraying on biochips for identifying differentially expressed genes in disease or other cell states.  AlphaGene also employs specialized assays and sophisticated bioinformatics to aid in the identification of critical disease-specific targets.

 For more information, or if you wish to take a license on this technology, please contact Dr. Peter Schad, Chief Scientific Officer of AlphaGene, Inc. at (781) 933-4446 ext. 236, or pas@alphagene.com.