Seoul, S. Korea, Dec. 9, 2008: Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) and US-based Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) have signed a MoU to develop multi-parameter analysis approaches to study host pathogen interactions.

The resulting partnership would combine ISB’s systematic proteomic and informatic approaches with the Institut Pasteur Korea’s proprietary genome wide, visual RNAi screening technology. Together with ISB’s expertise in network discovery and predictive mathematical modeling the combined approaches would provide valuable targets to IPK’s drug screening projects.

Mr Gary Sweeney, CSO, Institut Pasteur Korea said, “It really is the complementarities of our approaches that make this potential collaboration so exiting. Concretely, live viral infections are subjected to a visual genome-wide RNAi array with the resulting functional data being cross-connected with the proteomic interaction profile. This type of approach can elucidate the mechanisms of infection to near completion.”

“We are pleased that Institut Pasteur Korea and the Institute for Systems Biology may have an opportunity to combine complementary approaches and capabilities towards complex problems in host-pathogen research,” said Mr John Aitchison, Associate Director, Institute for Systems Biology.