Press Releases
5AM Solutions Chosen to Build Next Release of caArray National Cancer Research Portal
Microarray data sharing to accelerate cancer research
Phoenix, AZ (PRWeb) August 2, 2006 – 5AM Solutions announced today that it has been awarded a subcontract through Science Applications International Corporation-Frederick-Inc (SAIC-Frederick) to build the next version of the cancer Array Informatics Portal (caArray) for the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) cancer Bioinformatics Grid (caBIG). 5AM Solutions will build software that improves the ability for national cancer researchers to manage the genomic data produced by microarray technology.
Valued at more than $1 million, this time and materials subcontract will be performed over a one-year base period with two one-year options. Under the terms of the subcontract, 5AM will work closely with the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB) in Rockville, MD. This subcontract is awarded by SAIC-Frederick, and funded solely under it’s prime contract with the National Cancer Institute (Contract Number N01-C0-12400).
caArray has two objectives: the first is to make microarray data publicly available; the second is to develop and bring together open source tools to analyze the data generated. The release that 5AM will develop facilitates those objectives by allowing NCI-affiliated researchers from around the nation to add their findings to caBIG. The ability to quickly validate and upload data to caBIG means that progress in all facets of cancer research will be accelerated with cancer patients being the project’s most important beneficiaries.
Eric Tavela, 5AM Solutions’ Chief Technology Officer, said, “We are thrilled to be a part of such an important project. Success for the NCICB means that society as a whole is closing in on a cure for cancer. 5AM is excited to have been chosen to lend our expertise to this endeavor.” Several factors contributed to the win. 5AM’s previous award to build a component for caArray earlier in the year – the first of its kind since the NCI’s Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB) opened caBIG contracting opportunities to the commercial sector – was a major contributor. 5AM’s experience building standards- and component-based web solutions for the life sciences was another. Finally having built the NIH Neuroscience Microarray Consortium site (http://arrayconsortium.tgen.org) which has a similar audience, feature set and thousands of users was viewed by 5AM as another key factor in the win.
Brent Gendleman, CEO of 5AM, said, “5AM Solutions is passionate about making a difference; we have the people and skills to accomplish so much and we believe this is the first of many contributions 5AM will make to help the NCI achieve its goal of eliminating suffering and death due to cancer by 2015.”
About 5AM Solutions
5AM Solutions develops innovative software solutions for academic, government, commercial, and non-profit life sciences organizations. The company helps evolve the way biomedical researchers work and collaborate by using software to reveal new insights hidden in vast amounts of data, facilitate translational research, and solve workflow challenges. The company’s solutions can overcome IT-based roadblocks to discovery and accelerate progress toward the ultimate goal of better health and improved patient outcomes.
About caBIG™
caBIG™ stands for the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid. It is an open-source, open-access, voluntary information network that will enable cancer researchers to share tools, standards, data, applications, and technologies according to agreed-upon common standards and needs. caBIG™ is dedicated to enabling the development of an informatics infrastructure that will link teams of cancer and biomedical researchers as part of a collaborative network, or grid.
For more information about the cancer Biomedical Information Grid, visit the caBIG™ web site at http://cabig.nci.nih.gov
For more information about cancer, visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
Contact:
Leslie Power
202-359-0990 voice
888-577-8855 fax
lpower@5amsolutions.com