Lucigen in the News

Press Releases and News

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett visits Lucigen.

Dr. David Mead and Tom Barrett.

February 18, 2010 - Milwaukee mayor and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett recently toured Lucigen’s facility, re-affirming his support for Wisconsin’s growing biotechnology industry. Barrett spoke with Lucigen’s founder, Dr. David Mead, who highlighted Lucigen’s current and future goals. The Milwaukee Mayor later spoke with other Lucigen scientists to better understand the workings of a biotechnology company. Dr. Cheng-Cang Wu, Vice-President of Custom Services, discussed Lucigen’s unique methods and robotic technology for whole genome cloning. Lynne Sheets, Production Scientist, described her career path at Lucigen beginning as an intern to her current position, where she contributes to product development and product commercialization. Mr. Barrett also discussed Lucigen’s research into thermophilic bacteria and bacteriophage obtained from hot springs with Tom Schoenfeld, Vice-President of Enzyme Discovery.

Lucigen at PAG Conference.

Dr. Patrick Burke at PAG.

January 2010 - Drs. Cheng-Cang Wu and Patrick Burke attended the Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference. In addition to exhibiting Lucigen’s products and services, highlights included:

Presentations by Filippo Geuna and Helge Zieler of research performed using Lucigen-produced Random Shear BAC libraries during the Large Insert DNA Libraries and Their Applications Workshop.
A Lucigen-sponsored workshop titled Random Shear BAC libraries, New Genome Analysis Tools, and Their Applications featuring talks from two researchers of work in-progress using Lucigen-produced Random Shear BAC libraries.
Posters by Lucigen scientists of work on Random Sheared BAC Libraries and Multiplex Expression Screening.

PAG XVIII brought together the leading genetic scientists and researchers involved in plant & animal research and related areas. With over 50 countries represented, the Plant & Animal Genome Conference provided a forum for the global exchange of information. Lucigen is pleased to be able to provide tools to help this important research progress. Learn more about Custom Services including Random Shear BAC Libraries.

Published paper: Linear plasmid vector for cloning of repetitive or unstable sequences in Escherichia coli

December 2009 - Dr. Ronald Godiska of Lucigen, along with several academic collaborators, has published a research article describing the unique pJAZZ® Linear Vector used in Lucigen’s BigEasy® v2.0 Linear Cloning System. This paper demonstrates the utility of the pJAZZ vector for:

Cloning AT-rich DNA
Cloning highly repetitive DNA (up to 30kb)
Creating DNA libraries with minimal size bias

“Linear plasmid vector for cloning of repetitive or unstable sequences in Escherichia coli”, is published in Nucleic Acids Research and is available free of charge.

Lucigen in Germany and France.

Dr. Patrick Burke at PEGS.

October 2009 - Dr. Patrick Burke, Technical Product Manager, represented Lucigen at Cambridge Health Institute’s Protein Expression Summit (PEGS) in Hannover, Germany. This special-topic conference focused on protein expression and antibody development including a full day on Phage Display of Therapeutic Antibodies. Information on all Lucigen’s products was presented with particular focus on competent cells for phage display at the booth and in a poster. Watch SelectScience’s interview regarding Lucigen's featured products.

Dr. Burke also met with Lucigen’s distributors in Germany, BioCat GmbH, and France, Euromedex France. These meetings provided an occasion to share information regarding the needs of European scientists, the solutions offered by current Lucigen products, and feedback for the development of future research tools. The conference and the meetings were invaluable sources of customer feedback and Lucigen is grateful to BioCat and Euromedex for their support.

Lucigen scientist visits Shanghai distributor.

Dr. Cheng-Cang presenting on
Lucigen's enzyme discovery program.

September 2009 - Dr. Cheng-Cang Wu, Vice President of Genome Technology Development at Lucigen Corp. was invited by MingRui Biotech Co., located in Shanghai, China to discuss recent technology advancements. In September 2009, Dr. Wu provided training on Lucigen products and gave a presentation on ‘New enzyme discovery from Yellowstone Hot Springs, unique bacterial linear cloning system, and their applications’ to the local customers, mainly from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Dr. Wu also met individually to discuss customer questions and listen to their feedback. Lucigen appreciates opportunities to work with distributors, and thanks MingRui Biotech for providing such an opportunity.

Lucigen Awarded $750,000 NIH Grant

September 16, 2009 - Lucigen Corporation is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a new grant to fund additional research and development.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Lucigen $750,000 to be used over two years to develop enzymes and methods for nucleic acid sequencing. This work may lead to faster and less expensive methods of sequencing DNA, which is important in the emerging field of personalized medicine. Determining a patient’s genetic makeup quickly and inexpensively will help health care professionals better determine the correct drugs with which to treat the patient, resulting in better outcomes. Furthermore, knowing one’s genetic predisposition for disease may help an individual take corrective action before a disease develops.

“We are pleased to receive this additional funding to support our research. This grant will provide Lucigen with the support we need to advance our work to support the rapidly developing field of personalized medicine” according to David Mead, Ph.D., Principle Investigator on the grant, and founder and CEO.

Lucigen Scientists Return from the Field

August, 2009 - Lucigen scientists, Tom Schoenfeld and David Mead, hiked into the Heart Lake thermal basin of Yellowstone National Park in August of 2009 to collect microbial samples for research projects associated with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at University of Wisconsin Madison. The collection trip focused on thermophilic microbes associated with decaying woody biomass, with the goal of improving industrial biofuels production by providing robust enzymes able to function optimally at the high temperatures required for these processes. The team also studied the viruses inhabiting these near-boiling hot springs as part of an investigation into microbial and viral diversity and host defenses in these unique environments. This research has provided enzymes that are key components of DNA and RNA amplification systems.

The research was conducted under permits obtained from the National Parks Service. Unlike other extractive methods, our method of bioprospecting leaves a very small environmental footprint. Our collections are all less than 2 liters taken from an outflow channel, immediately before the water enters the stream, and the hotsprings remain untouched. Montana State University Professors Brent Peyton, Matthew Fields and Robin Gerlach served as guides to the remote area.

Lucigen Awarded $100,000 NSF Grant

July 7, 2009 - Lucigen Corporation is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a new grant to fund additional research and development.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Lucigen and its collaborators at Auburn University $100,000 to develop methods for molecular diagnostics and biological control of disease in farmed channel catfish. This work may lead to diagnostic kits and other products to help eliminate the spread of disease in farm-raised channel catfish, an important food crop.

“As wild stocks of fish decline, aquaculture is an increasingly important food source for a growing number of people. A major impediment to its development is disease among the farmed fish. This goal of this project is to provide catfish farmers a rapid, affordable means for early detection of their most problematic disease and for treatment with natural antimicrobials. This technology should be applicable to other types of fish, as well,” said Thomas Schoenfeld, Principle Investigator on the grant.

“We are pleased to receive this additional funding to support our research. This grant will provide Lucigen with the support we need to develop products which will help safeguard the production of the channel catfish farming industry,” according to David Mead, Ph.D., founder and CEO.

With these grants, Lucigen has received more than $700,000 in federal grant funding over the past year, and more than $4.2 million in total grant funding.

Lucigen Awarded Two New Grants

May 5, 2009 - Lucigen Corporation is pleased to announce that it has been awarded two new grants to fund additional research and development.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Lucigen $100,000 to further develop a nucleic acid replicating enzyme, which was discovered in a sample taken from a boiling-hot spring. The enzyme has several properties that may be useful in cancer diagnosis and infectious disease detection.

Lucigen will also share in an award of $300,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a simple, point of care test for infectious agents. The test is based on technology developed jointly by Lucigen and Dr. Abhay Vats, M.D., at the University of Pittsburgh. The funds will be used to develop tests for respiratory viruses, which can be performed in the doctor’s office or clinic, rather than in a diagnostic laboratory. This work may reduce the cost and improve the delivery of treatment for many respiratory illnesses, such as influenza.

“We are pleased to receive this additional funding to support our research. These grants will provide Lucigen with the support we need to develop several key products, which we feel could have a major impact on the early detection of disease,” according to David Mead, Ph.D., founder and CEO.

With these grants, Lucigen has received more than $600,000 in federal grant funding over the past year, and more than $4.1 million in total grant funding.

Jeff Williams is Lucigen’s New President

April 2, 2009 - Lucigen Corporation is pleased to announce that Jeff Williams has joined the company as its new President. Jeff brings over 20 years of relevant experience, having previously held senior level management positions at leading life science and diagnostic companies. He comes to Lucigen from Platypus Technologies where he was President and CEO. Jeff has also held Vice President positions at Roche Diagnostics, Ambion, and Asuragen where he focused on operations, and product and business development. He holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.

“Jeff brings a wealth of operations and management expertise to Lucigen. We are fortunate to find someone of his caliber,” according to David Mead, Ph.D., founder and CEO. “We intend to utilize his experience to build the infrastructure and internal processes we will need to keep up with our rapid growth.”

Lucigen receives NIMH grant for membrane protein research

August 2 , 2007 - Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) was awarded a $250,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The grant will fund development of new methods to analyze membrane proteins using the company’s proprietary gene cloning and protein expression technologies. Membrane proteins are highly important targets in developing drugs against many human diseases. However, difficulties in cloning and preparing membrane proteins have slowed research into how they function in normal and diseased cells. Lucigen expects that its new methods will allow much faster analysis of membrane proteins and speed development of new, more effective pharmaceuticals.

Lucigen and C56 part of $125 million Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center

June 26, 2007- Lucigen Corporation, in conjunction with its spin-off company C56 Technologies, was chosen by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in a competitive review process to be a commercial participant included in the new national initiative to develop cellulosic-based biofuels. DOE is providing $375 million over 5 years to fund three Bioenergy Research Centers. The funding is part of President Bush's “Twenty in Ten” initiative, which seeks to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent within 10 years through the development of renewable, carbon-neutral energy sources. Lucigen and C5-6 Technologies are included in the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, headed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lucigen and C5-6 Technologies will use the funding to speed discovery, development and commercialization of high efficiency enzymes for biofuel production from low-value cellulosic sources such as agricultural residues, grasses, poplar trees, inedible plants, and non-edible portions of crops. For more information, please click here.

Lucigen receives $750,000 grant

April 19, 2007 - Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) received a Phase II SBIR follow-on grant from the National Institutes of Health to complete development and commercialization of new DNA polymerases for high throughput genomic sequencing. The company discovered these enzymes in previously unknown viruses from boiling hot springs.

Lucigen has been “bioprospecting” hot springs and other high temperature environments by using proprietary methods to clone and screen the genomes of rare bacteria and viruses for novel enzymes. Because of their environment, these microbes have developed enzymes that work most effectively at high temperatures. The company’s first bioprospecting discovery was cellulase and xylanase enzymes that promise to increase yields in bioethanol production from corn, a high temperature process. Last year Lucigen spun off another company, C5-6 Technologies, to commercialize these enzymes. C5-6 is expanding this work in developing enzymes for biofuel production from soybeans and biomass.

The DNA polymerases Lucigen is developing with the NIH grant are the second bioprospecting find. Similar, but less efficient, high temperature enzymes are now used in automated DNA sequencers used in research, molecular diagnostics, and drug discovery. Lucigen is collaborating with two leading manufacturers of automated DNA sequencers to eventually integrate these enzymes with their instrumentation.

Lucigen awarded genomics grant

March 30, 2006 - Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) received a $750,000 SBIR phase II grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The company will use the funding to commercialize several new technologies that are expected to streamline gene cloning and analysis. Founded in 1998, Lucigen uses its patented and proprietary gene technologies to discover new types of enzymes for biomedical research, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and high efficiency ethanol production from corn and biomass for fuels.

Lucigen receives NIH grant

November 3, 2005 - Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) received a $400,000 SBIR Phase II grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a new generation of tools for faster and easier construction of gene "libraries". Gene libraries are widely used in biomedical research, development of molecular diagnostics for genetic diseases, and discovery of new biopharmaceuticals. In addition to commercializing these new tools as products, the company will use them in its own programs to discover and develop novel enzymes expected to offer much better performance and efficiency in research, diagnostics, drug discovery, and industrial processes including ethanol production from corn for fuels.

Lucigen chosen as a finalist for the 2005 Governor's Small Business Technology Transfer Award

Lucigen Corporation has been chosen as one of five finalists for the State of Wisconsin Governor's Small Business Technology Transfer Award. The Award, sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Center for Technology Transfer, recognizes an outstanding Wisconsin small business that has taken a technology innovation to profitable commercialization. Lucigen's nomination for the Award was based on the company's novel CloneSmart® and related ultra high efficiency gene cloning technologies, products, and services.

Lucigen receives SBIR Award

Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) has received an SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a high throughput screening technology for identifying new types of DNA polymerases. These enzymes are widely used in biomedical research, tests for viruses and other pathogens, and diagnostics for genetic-based diseases. Lucigen will use this technology to screen for DNA polymerases in gene libraries prepared from previously inaccessible rare microbes living in boiling hot springs. The company is already developing a series of novel enzymes expected to offer much better performance and efficiency in research, diagnostics, drug discovery, and industrial processes like ethanol production from corn for fuels.

Center for Technology Transfer Invests in Lucigen

MADISON, Wis. (January 18, 2004) – The Center for Technology Transfer Inc. (CTT) has committed $250,000 in equity funding to Middleton, Wis., based Lucigen Corporation. Lucigen is working on the development of enzymes that can improve the energy efficiency of ethanol production and other similar processes. CTT's investment will be used to fund further development in this area and will also serve as match funding in the event Lucigen obtains federal grants. This investment completes a $1 million private placement by Lucigen.

Lucigen's core expertise and business is discovering, developing and marketing novel enzymes and enzyme-related products of high commercial value. Lucigen invented the ultra efficient DNA cloning technologies (patents pending) that are incorporated into its current CloneSmart™ gene cloning and genomics products, NanoClone™ cloning services, and Single Cell Genomics technology for new product discovery. The company currently sells more than 50 different biomedical research products and services. It has already been awarded $5 million in competitive SBIR grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the US Department of Energy in recognition of the commercial value of its technologies and expertise.

Dr. David Mead, Lucigen's founder and CEO, remarked that working with CTT "had been a very efficient process". He added, "We really appreciate the help and support that CTT has provided. There is not nearly enough of this in Wisconsin and it makes a tremendous difference to a small firm like ours. That is one of the reasons we have also invited a CTT representative to join our Board of Directors."

"We are very excited about Lucigen's technology and strong group of backers," said CTT President Masood Akhtar. "We are providing this funding in order to help support this promising area that could lead to considerable energy savings in the production of ethanol, a renewable source of energy."

About CTT
CTT is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to commercializing new energy-saving technologies in Wisconsin. CTT has an investment fund and employs an investment model for technology commercialization. CTT is largely funded by the Wisconsin Department of Administration through its Focus on Energy Program, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative. CTT works mainly with early-stage companies, but will consider project financing to bring energy best practices to Wisconsin.

About Lucigen Corporation
Lucigen Corporation was founded in Wisconsin in 1998 by Dr. Mead who has eighteen years of experience in the field.

For more information about:
CTT, call Masood Akhtar 608-661-4081 or 661-4086 or visit www.cttinc.org.
Lucigen, call David Mead 608-831-9011 or visit www.lucigen.com.

Lucigen selected to present at venture conference

For the second year in a row, Lucigen has been chosen to present at the annual Wisconsin Life Sciences & Venture Conference, November 16 & 17 in Madison. Criteria for selection were technology advantage, market opportunity, management team, company strategy, and investor appeal. The selection committee included venture capitalists, business consultants, and individuals with experience in founding and developing technology companies.

VWR International to distribute Lucigen products

Lucigen Corporation and VWR International Inc. have concluded a distribution agreement giving VWR non-exclusive rights to distribute Lucigen products under the Lucigen label in the US and Canada. VWR, a leading supplier of research products to the global life sciences market, has worldwide sales of more than $2.5 billion.

Lucigen receives DOE award

Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) was notified that on Monday, September 20, 2004, a distinguished panel of microbiologists convened by the US Department of Energy reviewed more than 65 nominations in projects to address DOE's needs in the areas of bioremediation, carbon sequestration, and biofuels production. Lucigen received one of the highest priority awards in proposing use of the company's novel DNA cloning technologies to investigate rare, previously unknown microbial life forms in boiling hot springs. Lucigen will develop gene libraries from these rare microbes which will then be sequenced by DOE's Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek, CA. Lucigen will analyze the DNA sequence data to identify and commercialize high value biological products. Total value of the award in sequencing services for Lucigen is estimated to be $1 million. The company is developing new enzymes for biomedical research, diagnostics, drug discovery, and industrial processes including low cost bioethanol production from corn for fuel use.

Lucigen Awarded Matching Funding

Lucigen Corporation (Middleton, WI) received the maximum $250,000 awarded from the National Science Foundation under a special SBIR grant program to commercialize new products and technologies with high potential value. Under this program, NSF matched a percentage of the funds raised by Lucigen from outside investors. The award will speed commercialization of novel enzymes from rare microbes discovered using Lucigen's proprietary Single Cell Genomics technology.

Lucigen Awarded US Patent on CloneSmart® Technology

Lucigen has been awarded US Pat. No. 6,709,861 "Cloning Vectors and Vector Components" covering key elements of Lucigen's transcription-free, ultra high efficiency vectors for cloning deleterious sequences, multiplex cloning, multiplex sequencing, and fixed orientation cloning. Additional patents are pending. Licenses to the CloneSmart Technology and vectors are available for selected applications and fields-of-use. Contact Lucigen for details.

Lucigen to Present at the Wisconsin Life Sciences Venture Conference

Lucigen has been chosen to give a presentation on the company, its products and technologies at the Wisconsin Life Sciences Venture Conference 2003, to be held November 4-5 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI. The company is seeking additional equity financing to commercialize its Single Cell Genomics technology for new product discovery, and to expand its R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and business operations.

Lucigen Collaborates with US Department of Energy to Study Microbial Populations in Extreme Environments

Lucigen Corporation, a Middleton Wisconsin biotechnology company, has received one of only four in-kind DNA sequencing grants awarded in national competition by the US Department of Energy (DOE) through its Genomes to Life Program.

DOE's Joint Genome Institute will perform 100,000,000 sequence reads of DNA provided by Lucigen from rare, previously unknown microbes accessible only with the company's proprietary Single Cell Genomics technology. This DNA sequencing is expected to identify genes for new kinds of enzymes and other proteins with potential applications in biomedical research, diagnostics, drug discovery, and industrial processing.

Lucigen will have exclusive use of this DNA sequence information for 6 months, after which it will be publicly available in the GenBank data base.

LUCIGEN RECEIVES A $750,000 SBIR PHASE II GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO DEVELOP ITS SINGLE CELL GENOMICS TECHNOLOGY

Lucigen Corporation, a Middleton Wisconsin biotechnology company, has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II SBIR grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The grant, funded through the DOE's Genomes to Life Program, was awarded in recognition of the scientific merit and high commercial potential of Lucigen's Single Cell Genomics gene mining technology. This technology for the first time allows the isolation and cloning of genes from a single cell or virus. In contrast, current gene cloning methods are a billion-fold less efficient, requiring that a cell or virus sample first be cultured, or grown in the laboratory, to generate the large number of cells needed. Because 99% of the cells or viruses in the environment cannot be cultured, Single Cell Genomics is expected to open up entirely new sources of products for biomedical research, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industrial processing. Lucigen, founded in 1998, is a privately held company manufacturing and selling products worldwide for gene cloning and genomics.

Lucigen Awarded Four concomitant SBIR Phase I and II

Lucigen Corporation, a Middleton Wisconsin biotechnology company, has been awarded four concomitant SBIR phase I and II grants totaling $800,000 from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Human Genome Research Institute and the Department of Energy. The funding will be used to develop a suite of related molecular tools for genome research and will enhance Lucigen's genomic analysis and discovery platforms. Lucigen, founded in 1998, is a privately held company that manufactures and sells products for biomedical research.

Lucigen has Signed Distribution Agreements

Lucigen Corporation announced that it has signed distribution agreements with representatives in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. These relationships will allow us to better serve our global customers.

Lucigen receives second year of funding for a Phase II SBIR

Lucigen Corporation announced that it has received the second year of funding for a Phase II SBIR award from the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, to continue developing its multiplex cloning and sequencing technologies. These technologies are directly applicable to the worldwide efforts to decipher the genetic codes of humans, mice, rats, cattle, maize, plasmodium, various microbes and other organisms.

Lucigen discovers new enzymes

Going to Extremes
by Nicole Miller published in Grow Magazine, from UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

State Firm On The Trail Of Tiny Critters In Yellowstone's Steamy Pools
by Judy Newman, published in the Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2006, used with permission.

One cell, big potential - Middleton's Lucigen helps scientists unravel DNA
by Jeff Richgels, published in The Capitol Times, October 23, 2003, used with permission.

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