Gene Codes Corporation
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| Gene Codes | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Location | Ann Arbor, MI, USA |
| Key people | Howard Cash President and CEO |
| Industry | Bioinformatics and Engineering |
| Products | DNA Sequence Analysis Tools |
| Website | http://www.genecodes.com/ |
Gene Codes Corporation is a privately-owned international firm specializing in bioinformatics software for DNA sequence analysis. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Gene Codes conducts business in over 40 countries world wide. Its flagship software product, Sequencher, holds a dominant share in the DNA sequencing sector and is found ubiquitously in academic, institutional, and pharmaceutical research laboratories.[citation needed] In addition to its commercial aim, Gene Codes dedicates an unusually large portion of its talents to humanitarian efforts. Among other not-for-profit ventures, Gene Codes identified victims of the 2001 World Trade Center attack. [1]
[edit] History
Gene Codes Corporation was founded in 1988 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1991, the DNA sequence assembly and analysis software, Sequencher, was released. In the following years, Sequencher became the standard for every major pharmaceutical company in the world, and was used in nearly every major center of research for the biological sciences.
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Gene Codes dedicated much of their resources to the identification of the victims. This effort resulted in the Mass Fatality Identification SYStem, MFISYS (pronounced “emphasis”). This software records DNA profiles and finds matches in specimen sample profiles. These profiles are generated by sequencing a series of genetic markers including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), short tandem repeats (STRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This system was also used to identify those killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Gene Codes is currently working with the DNA Shoah Project whose aim is to identify remains of those killed during the holocaust.[2]
