INDUSTRY

SEATTLE, WA -- Cray Inc. (Nasdaq:CRAY) today announced it is collaborating with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop bioinformatics research tools substantially more powerful than those available today. Bioinformatics is a high-potential market that involves applying computer technology to biology and medicine. By exploiting several unique, ultra-fast technologies originally designed into Cray supercomputers for classified government use, the NCI and Cray are working to create genome analysis software capable of identifying and analyzing genes involved in cancer and other diseases. In an initial demonstration project, scientists at the NCI's Advanced Biomedical Computing Center in Frederick, Md., produced a comprehensive map of short tandem repeat sequences (STRs) -- often used as gene markers -- for the entire human genome. Using the Cray SV1(TM) supercomputer located at the NCI, computations that previously took hours are being completed in seconds. This will enable biologists to do full-scale analyses that previously were impractical, Cray officials said. "In preliminary testing, the unique technologies available on Cray vector supercomputers have provided enormous speed-ups for full-scale analysis of some common types of bioinformatics problems," said Bill Long, Cray's chief collaborator for the NCI work. "Assuming this validation continues, we believe there is a potential to make full-scale, exhaustive analysis of many bioinformatics problems feasible for the first time." Although exhaustive analysis typically produces results that are more complete and reliable than methods based on statistical sampling, he said, to date exhaustive analysis has been too slow and expensive to use routinely. Short tandem repeats, also known as microsatellites, are repetitive sequences of DNA that scientists have exploited for several years as tools to map new genes, study the structure of chromosomes, and compare the DNA of different species, all of which are major areas of interest in biology and medical research. Other bioinformatics software tools under development in the NCI-Cray collaboration include: non-tandem repeats, EST cluster assembly, CG island detection, genome assembly from BAC clones, SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) analysis, and the extension to protein sequences for proteomic applications. "We are excited about the initial results of our collaboration with the NCI and optimistic about the larger potential for applying our unique technologies in the field of bioinformatics," said Jim Rottsolk, Cray Inc. chairman and CEO. Cray SV1 supercomputer systems start at under $1 million (U.S. list), are air cooled and fit easily into office environments. The NCI's Advanced Biomedical Computing Center (Frederick, Md.) serves 1,800 biological researchers worldwide. Using a Cray supercomputer, ABCC played a critical role in solving the 3-D structure of HIV-1 protease, an enzyme that HIV utilizes to infect human immune cells. With the 3-D structure clarified, scientists were able to design highly effective protease inhibitors that are now the mainstay of AIDS therapy. For this work, ABCC was named a finalist for the prestigious Computerworld Smithsonian science award in 2000. For further information visit www.cray.com