Affymetrix Planning ‘Gene Chip’ Venture

Affymetrix Inc. is launching a venture to put microscopic detectors capable of reading the entire human genome onto a set of glass chips, then use them to detect common genetic variations in the human race and to match those patterns with disease. The plan by the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, is to scan the complete genomes of at least 50 people next year, with the goal of producing the most exhaustive human gene database ever created. With that database, scientists hope to zero in on key genetic patterns to produce a smaller set of “gene chips”--then use those to scan thousands of people with heart ailments, cancer, diabetes and the like to see which genetic variations correlate with what diseases. The idea is to generate more rapidly new theories of how to treat disease that pharmaceutical companies could use in creating medicines. Affymetrix has lured a leading geneticist, David Cox of Stanford University, to be scientific director of the new venture, which will be a spinoff company called Perlegen Sciences. Affymetrix shares fell 94 cents to close at $46.13 on Nasdaq.