Genaissance and Monsanto Company Team Up With the USDA to Map Soybean Genome

Genaissance and Monsanto Company Team Up With the USDA to Map
Soybean Genome
Aim Is to Improve Soybeans 


NEW HAVEN, Conn. and ST. LOUIS, March 9  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- An agreement
between Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNSC), Monsanto Company
(NYSE:MON) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the chief scientific
research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is expected to
provide U.S. soybean plant breeders with new technology for more accurate and
efficient plant breeding research.

The project's intent is to map single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) DNA markers
in soybeans, creating a detailed molecular genetic map of the soybean that
includes a large number of SNP DNA markers along with pre-existing SSR (simple
sequence repeat) markers.  In addition, all of the map position information and
use of soybean SNP markers covered by the agreement will be freely available to
all U.S. soy breeders and geneticists, creating the first publicly available
map of its kind.

A SNP is a specific location along a chromosome where there is a variation in
the genetic sequence.  This variation can be used as a genetic marker.
Scientists often use genetic markers as a tag to identify the specific location
of a genetic trait on a chromosome.  By tagging the desired trait, plant
breeders can breed plants more efficiently and more accurately.

"Monsanto is proud to be a part of this important research initiative," said
Monsanto's Global Genotyping Lead Robert Reiter.  "We hope that our work with
Genaissance and the USDA will lead to a better understanding of the soybean,
and help develop ways to deliver improved soybean varieties faster and more
efficiently, putting new technology into the hands of public soy researchers."

The collaborators plan to make the information available in Soybase, the USDA
Soybean Genome Database, and dbSNP, the National Center for Biotechnology
Information SNP database, as well as publish the information in scientific
journals, so plant breeders have access to the important data.

The SNPs that are being mapped were discovered at the USDA, ARS Beltsville,
Md., with support from the United Soybean Board.

"Because all of the SNPs are located in genes, the result of the work will be a
genetic map that defines 'gene-rich regions' of the soybean genome," said Perry
Cregan, USDA-ARS researcher.  "It is the gene-containing regions that are of
greatest interest to soybean breeders and geneticists who want to develop
genetically superior soybean varieties with enhanced seed quality, greater
disease resistance, and superior drought tolerance and yield."

"What we learn from this research will be critical in our search for additional
insights into ways to improve the characteristics, production rates, and
disease resistance of a variety of field crops, including soybeans, and other
plant species," said Gerald F. Vovis, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief
Technology Officer of Genaissance Pharmaceuticals.

ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, discovered the soybean SNPs and saw
value for public researchers in having the SNPs mapped.  As part of the
agreement, Monsanto will provide funding to support the mapping, which
Genaissance will perform, given its expertise as a SNP genotyping services
provider.

Today's announcement builds on previous announcements that target public sector
research.

Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products based on
its proprietary pharmacogenomic technology and has a revenue-generating
business in DNA and pharmacogenomic products and services.  Genaissance also
markets its proprietary FAMILION(TM) Test, designed to detect mutations
responsible for causing Familial Long QT and Brugada Syndromes, two causes of
sudden cardiac death.  The company's product development strategy is focused on
drug candidates with promising clinical profiles and finding genetic markers to
identify a responsive patient population.  This strategy enables Genaissance to
leverage existing clinical data and, thus, reduce the costs and risks
associated with traditional drug development and increase the probability of
clinical success and commercialization.  For more information on Genaissance,
visit our website at: http://www.genaissance.com/ .

Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) is a leading global provider of technology-based
solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality.  For more information on Monsanto, see: http://www.monsanto.com/ .

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements
about the expected growth and development of Genaissance's business, such as
Genaissance's ability to detect associations between clinical outcomes and
genetic variation, the ability to assess how genetic variation can affect drug
response, efforts to build a drug candidate pipeline, the timing and outcome of
its genetic testing programs, the timing of its ability to enter into drug
development collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, the ability of
Genaissance to apply its technologies to the development, marketing and
prescribing of drugs and Genaissance's ability to detect associations between
clinical outcomes and genetic variation.  Such statements are subject to
certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events
and performance to differ materially from those referred to in such statements,
including, but not limited to, the extent to which genetic markers (haplotypes)
are predictive of clinical outcomes and drug efficacy and safety, the
attraction of new business and strategic partners, the adoption of our
technologies by the pharmaceutical industry, the acceptance of our cardiac
tests by health care providers, the timing and success of clinical trials,
competition from pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics companies, the
strength of our intellectual property rights and those risks identified in our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2004, and in other
filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. 
The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of
Genaissance as of the date of this release.  Genaissance disclaims any
obligation to update any forward-looking statement. 

DATASOURCE: Monsanto Company



CONTACT:  Gerald Vovis of Genaissance, [phone], or Ben Kampelman

of Monsanto Company, [phone], or Perry Cregan of USDA-ARS,

[phone]



Web site:  http://www.monsanto.com/

http://www.genaissance.com/ 



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