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SENOMYX, INC. ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF FUNCTIONAL HUMAN OLFACTORY RECEPTORS IN THE JOURNAL GENOME BIOLOGY.
La Jolla, CA (June 1, 2001) – Scientists at Senomyx, Inc. (www.senomyx.com) have identified a set of 347 human olfactory receptor genes, which the Company believes represents substantially the complete set of functional receptors related to smell. A manuscript describing this work will be published in the June 2001 issue of the journal Genome Biology (www.genomebiology.com).
Each of the 347 olfactory receptor genes is predicted to encode a unique protein that mediates the recognition of odorants. Dr. Sergey Zozulya and colleagues at Senomyx identified the receptor genes using a bioinformatic analysis of unannotated human genome sequence. Previously, scientists estimated there are approximately 1,000 human olfactory receptor genes. Based on the results reported in the Genome Biology article, the Company believes only the 347 receptor genes identified are functional and therefore relevant to smell, and the remainder of the olfactory receptor genes are non-functional pseudogenes. Of the 347 functional olfactory receptor genes identified, approximately 250 were discovered by Senomyx scientists and about 100 were previously reported in public sequence databases as olfactory receptors. Based on the recently reported working draft sequence of the human genome, Senomyx believes the Company has identified the major portion of the functional olfactory receptor genes in humans. Dr. Zozulya presented this work at the International Congress of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria on May 19, 2001 as well as at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) on April 28, 2001 in Sarasota, Florida. As part of the work, Dr. Zozulya and colleagues isolated the coding sequence for each of the 347 genes and initiated functional expression experiments which seek to identify the odorants recognized by each receptor.
"The identification of this comprehensive repertoire of functional human olfactory receptors is another example of applications stemming from sequencing efforts of the Human Genome Project," said Dr. Mark Zoller, Senomyx's Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research. "Senomyx is developing an integrated discovery and development process to discover new and improved molecules that modulate taste and smell. A key element of our strategy is the use of the human taste and olfactory receptors in functional assays to screen for novel receptor activators and blockers. Importantly, Dr. Zozulya's work enables Senomyx to initiate the next phase of product discovery using these receptors," Dr. Zoller added.
About Senomyx, Inc.
Senomyx seeks to be the leader in discovering new and improved proprietary flavor and fragrance molecules for use in a wide range of consumer products. Senomyx's integrated technology platform combines an enhanced understanding of the biology of taste and smell with many of the same technologies and advancements that pharmaceutical companies have recently begun using to more efficiently discover new medicines. Senomyx is incorporating receptor biology, combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening and bioinformatics into an integrated technology platform designed to enable the rapid, efficient discovery of new and improved proprietary molecules.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" which reflect the company's current expectations about future performance. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates which could be inaccurate and which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from those anticipated or expressed in any forward-looking statement made by the company due to a number of factors, including without limitation Senomyx's new and unproven business model, technological uncertainties facing the companies and competitive factors. Please refer to the company's most recent SEC reports and filings for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties. Senomyx, Inc. disclaims any obligation or intent to update the forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.
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