Alliances to hunt for genetic information uses

Two leading Japanese companies, Hitachi and Ajinomoto, are to search for new proteins and commercial uses for genetic information. The alliance between the information-technology giant and the biotechnology company aims to develop a new generation of drugs.

Hitachi set up a life-science division last year, and in July spun off its central research institute in biotechnology. At the newly independent centre, 70 researchers analyse customer data and gather published DNA information.

Mr Hiroya Taguchi, president of the company's life science group, said, 'This is Hitachi's first division that does not sell anything! Hitachi has been building up its research capabilities in the biotech field through partnerships with US venture businesses. In November, it began a systematic search for over 100 kinds of proteins that react with specific proteins brought in by customers. It employs technologies developed by Utah-based Myriad Genetics Inc., which is known for its skills in the analysis of inter-protein reactions.'

Mr Taguchi added, 'Hitachi goes beyond consigned data analysis and "aims for joint research that contributes directly to customer r&d work. The goal is to obtain intellectual property rights, such as patents on newly discovered proteins and pharmaceutical supplements.'

Ajinomoto has amassed a wealth of experience in yeast culturing . The company concluded that its own technologies offered only limited help in getting ahead of the intense competition. Now that the 3 billion base pairs of the human genome sequence have been identified, it will be possible to find the proteins that make up specific genes. But that will require a new level of technology that allows computer analysis of a protein's 3-D structure to determine the possibilities for specific cures.

Mr Nishiyama added, 'The partners will develop biomedicines at the Hitachi labs and turn them into commercial products at Ajinomoto plants.'

Hitachi's rivals are moving in a similar direction. Fujitsu will develop pharmaceuticals using genetic information provided by Daiichi Pharmaceutical which became its partner in October. And NEC has set up a division bringing together biotech researchers and systems engineers. It will use its own supercomputer to analyse protein interactions and functions and simulate pharmaceutical production so it can pinpoint proteins.