Perkin-Elmer in Project to Map DNA

Perkin-Elmer Corp. said it’s teaming up with the Institute for Genomic Research to develop technology to map human DNA at a faster rate than before. The Norwalk, Conn.-based company’s Applied Biosystems unit is forming a company with the institute and genomics pioneer Craig Venter with a goal of completing the sequencing in three years. The new company would use Perkin-Elmer’s 3700 DNA Analyzer, priced at $300,000. The U.S. government is in the midst of a $3-billion program to sequence human DNA by 2005, the New York Times reported. If successful, Perkin-Elmer’s venture with the Rockville, Md., institute would achieve the same goal in a faster and less expensive way.