SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 7, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- DNAPrint Genomics, Inc. (OTCBB:DNAG) today announced that it has provided DNA test results to 18 persons of varying ethnic backgrounds who are leaders or organizers of the annual Human Rights Awareness Day, 2006 for the education of approximately 300 high school students in Nassau County, New York.
A workshop at Hofstra University on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006, entitled "Who Are We Really?" will explore typical stereotypes and perceptions that people may have about each other. The workshop also will help high school juniors understand that genetically they are 99.9% the same as the person sitting next to them, although they may have very different appearances. DNAPrint's various tests define the anthropological lineages of individuals that can aid students in understanding how they are similar and different from a scientific or genealogical perspective. To demonstrate that ancestry tests often provide surprising results about genetic lineages, 18 conference planners and educators took DNAPrint's ANCESTRYby DNA(tm) 2.5, and some who qualified took the broadened EURO-DNA 1.0 tests. They plan to share their own test results with attendees of the workshop.
ANCESTRYbyDNA(tm) 2.5 is a pan-chromosomal test for genetic ancestry that reviews 176 Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) to provide the percentages of the major bio-geographical population groups, Sub-Saharan African, Indo-European, East Asian or Native American. The AIMs were carefully selected from large-scale screens of the human genome; and are characterized by sequences of DNA that are more prevalent in people from one area of the world than another. EURO-DNA 1.0 breaks Indo-European ancestry into four groups, reporting individuals' percentages for each: Northwestern Europe (Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, etc.), Southeastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Turkey, etc.), Middle East and South Asia (India and Pakistan).
"The results are sometimes very surprising, but those that have taken the tests are really pleased," said Sgt. Gary Shapiro, Nassau County Police Department and moderator of the panel. "That's a common response among people who are tested. Some persons who think of themselves as Caucasian thought they would be 100 percent European, and then learn that they have some African, Asian or Native American ancestry. People who describe themselves as Black or African American sometimes discover that the African ancestry is a minority portion of their DNA."
"Avoiding racial stereotypes and learning how closely everyone is related genetically is an important topic for young adults to discuss and understand," stated Richard Gabriel, President and CEO of DNAPrint. "We are pleased to contribute to this valuable event, and we applaud the conference sponsors for undertaking a serious and significant topic that is essential for future generations to understand in order to treat each other with respect. Genealogical and anthropological lessons can also be very interesting and worthwhile from an educational perspective. DNAPrint is proud to participate in valuable public service projects and youth training like the Human Rights Awareness Day. We offer our compliments to Renaire Frieson, the conference chairperson, for putting together this important seminar series for young people."
The Human Rights Awareness Day conference is co-sponsored by the Nassau County Commission on Human Rights and the following organizations; BOCES of Nassau County, Nassau County Police Department, New York Civil Liberties Union, Office of the Nassau County District Attorney, What Color is Love, Inc. and local educators.
About DNAPrint Genomics, Inc.
DNAPrint Genomics, Inc. (www.dnaprint.com) is a developer of genomics-based products and services in two primary markets: biomedical and forensics. DNAPrint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, develops diagnostic tests and theranostic products (drug/test combinations) using the company's proprietary ancestry-informed genetic marker studies combined with proprietary computational modeling technology. Computational Biology and Pharmacogenomics services are also offered externally to biopharmaceutical companies. The company's first theranostic product is PT-401, a "Super EPO" (erythropoietin) dimer protein drug for treatment of anemia in renal dialysis patients (end stage renal disease). Pre-clinical and clinical development of all the company's drug candidates will benefit from simulated pre-trials to better design actual trials and are targeted to patients with a genetic profile indicating their propensity to have the best clinical response. DNAPrint is proud of its continued dedication to developing and supplying new technological advances in law enforcement and consumer ancestry heritage interests. Please refer to www.dnaprint.com for information on law enforcement and consumer applications which include DNAWITNESS(tm), RETINOME(tm), ANCESTRYbyDNA(tm) and EURO-DNA(tm). DNAWitness-Y and DNAWitness-Mito are two tests offered by the company. The results from these tests may be used as identification tools when a DNA sample is deteriorated or compromised or other DNA testing fails to yield acceptable results.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, but not limited to, uncertainties relating to technologies, product development, manufacturing, market acceptance, cost and pricing of DNAPrint's products, dependence on collaborations and partners, regulatory approvals, competition, intellectual property of others, and patent protection and litigation. DNAPrint Genomics, Inc. expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking, except as may be required by applicable law or regulation, to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in DNAPrint's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements are based.