BIO Selects DoubleTwist To Build Web Portal For Life Sciences Researchers, Companies
The portal will serve BIO members, academic researchers andothers interested in the life sciences with a wide variety of content and services, including access to research and drug development tools and databases, e-commerce providers, and scientific and business news, events and jobs. DoubleTwist will build the portal for BIO and serve as the anchor tenant for online genetic research. All genetic research firms will be encouraged to participate in the portal. Financial details of the collaboration are under discussion.
BIO President Carl B. Feldbaum said, "For biotech and other lifesciences companies, the Internet has become the essential tool for conducting business. BIO and its state affiliates want to assist our member companies make efficient use of the Internet and gain access to all the research and business development resources they need. We believe an alliance with DoubleTwist to develop an industry portal is the best way to achieve this goal."
In addition to original service developed expressly for the site,DoubleTwist and BIO expect to enter multiple, non-exclusive partnerships with a variety of independent third-party service providers. BIO members will receive discounts on all services offered through the industry portal.
"We are very pleased by the confidence that BIO hasdemonstrated in our design capabilities and business model by deciding to pursue a partnership with DoubleTwist in this major undertaking," said Rob Williamson, DoubleTwist chief operating officer. Our involvement in this project, once again, clearly reflects DoubleTwist's mission of empowering life scientists and companies worldwide in their scientific and business efforts."
BIO's Vice President of Business Development Morrie Ruffinsaid, "We received more than 25 proposals from various life science portals and vertical service providers. We selected DoubleTwist because of the people and their experience in building complex research applications, and because DoubleTwist's business plan for serving the industry mirrors BIO's goal for an industry portal."
BIO represents more than 920 companies, academic institutionsand state biotech centers in 47 states and 26 nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental products.
DoubleTwist, Inc. is an application service provider (ASP),devoted to empowering life scientists. The company provides research environments that leverage information technology and the World Wide Web to simplify and accelerate gene discovery. The company's web site, DoubleTwist.com, is an integrated technology platform that provides a secure and comprehensive research environment and community on the web. The site provides users with a number of benefits, including automated research agents, continuous database monitoring, access to proprietary data and data mining tools.
For more information, contact DoubleTwist, Inc. at (510) 628-0100 or through e-mail at info-pr@doubletwist.com or visit http://www.doubletwist.com. For information on BIO, visit http://www.bio.org or contact Dan Eramian, Charles Craig or Lisa Dry at (202) 962-9200.