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TWST: Can you explain how you differentiate yourselves (Nasdaq:GMNI) from other people who are doing parallel things?

Dr. Kelly: This is a very competitive endeavor. There is a huge intellectual property land grab going on at the moment as groups are seeking to capture functional significance around the gene and to the extent that one can capture the function of genes in terms of human biology, it is believed that you will have a very strong patent position as opposed to speculative raw information patents which are viewed as being of little value. Our competitive positioning is largely related to the depth and breadth fact of clinical data, the quality of that data which is allowing us to achieve gene discoveries with unprecedented speed, and the nature of our business strategy. We announced recently a discovery with one of our partners, Sequenom, that we identified two new genes related to cardiovascular disease in less than six months after beginning the collaboration. We achieved this in an unprecedented time frame because of the speed of technology that is viable at the moment and certainly the quality of our data. That data in some instances goes back over 20 odd years, and the time it takes to replicate these data is a key barrier to entry. Another factor that differentiates us is our business model, which is focused on moving from platform or enabling technology into products through retention of ownership of our discoveries. To make it perfectly clear, Gemini does not sell raw data. We don’t license our raw information. We are not a data base or information company. We are a product-focused company. To achieve those discoveries, through alliances we have accessed a broad suite of technologies, from gene expression data and proteomics to monoclonal antibody approaches. Our partners, such as Celera, CuraGen and Sequenom fund the use of their technology in these (nonexclusive) alliances.

TWST: Will the situation be reached where one product in your field surges way ahead of everybody else’s product?

Dr. Kelly: I think you will see that genomics will generate a “cocktail” of products. Each product with a specific disease application, a specific utility, in specific individuals, identified by better clinical measures and genetic testing that will be much better defined than we can currently define patients’ susceptibility of disease. At the moment how we identify patients at risk or having a disease is based upon fairly unsophisticated information. Going forward, Genomics will increase the level of sophistication around the prediction of disease. There will be a variety of different products available. So it won’t be as though there is one blockbuster drug for cardiovascular disease coming out of Genomics. There will be a suite of therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities coming out of this. Those companies that have the business models to deliver and capture the value of these discoveries will be those companies that capture more and more the value of Genomics. Those that have locked themselves up into exclusive discovery deals will be to a certain extent, limited from doing that. So the future will be, a lot of companies working together and the winning strategy we believe is where you will see a consortium of companies leveraging their respective technologies to facilitate and accelerate discovery and development.