GEN Launches Another Tantalizing Cryptogram Challenge

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 18, 2010 -
Contact: John Sterling, Editor in Chief, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (914) 740-2196, jsterling@genengnews.com

GEN Launches Another Tantalizing Cryptogram Challenge

New Rochelle, NY—Ever imagined what it would be like to be a military decoder? GEN’s (http://www.genengnews.com) latest contest will definitely grip your imagination. Along with our partner Scintellix, LLC (http://www.scintellix.com) and sponsor Life Technologies Corporation (www.lifetechnologies.com ), we are proud to present the fourth contest in our series of online cipher-based puzzles, Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi. The first person to solve it will win $1,500 a benchtop device from Invitrogen, part of Life Technologies. The first 150 registrants will receive a free T-shirt (www.genengnews.com/RNAiChallenge/challenge_tshirt.aspx) depicting artwork from the challenge, so register now at: http://www.genengnews.com/RNAiChallenge.

GEN and Scintellix are coupling the art of cryptography, which was first leveraged in the military, with life science applications. Just as cellular arrays depict biological processes and require skill to interpret, cryptograms when deciphered reveal a hidden message. GEN’s Cryptogram Challenges use the colors displayed in arrays to encrypt text.

“The response received during our last three contests made it clear to us that we had to keep running Cryptogram Challenges,” says Joan Boyce, Group Publisher of GEN . “This year we will have one contest per quarter. We kick the year off with the Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi as homage to the important role and varied applications of RNAi in biotechnology.”

This latest puzzle will not only engage your lab skills but also pique your interest. Peter C. Johnson, M.D., President and CEO of Scintellix, has encoded a message in an image that depicts siRNA’s control of gene expression. “I created Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi as a distinct departure from previous Cryptogram Challenges,” says Dr. Johnson. “It will require a different mindset to solve—mirroring some of the complexities in the application of RNAi technology itself."

As a leading supplier of synthetic siRNA and siRNA delivery technologies such as the Neon™ Transfection Device, Life Technologies anticipates that thousands of researchers from around the world  will sign up for the challenge to decipher the puzzle statement and win $1,500 and one of these benchtop instruments from Invitrogen: the Countess™ Automated Cell Counter (http://www.genengnews.com/elisareduxchallenge/the_sponsor.aspx#product4), the Neon™ Transfection Device (http://www.genengnews.com/elisareduxchallenge/the_sponsor.aspx#product1), the iBlot® Dry Blotting System (http://www.genengnews.com/elisareduxchallenge/the_sponsor.aspx#product2), the BenchPro™ 4100 Western Processing Device (http://www.genengnews.com/elisareduxchallenge/the_sponsor.aspx#product3), or the Qubit™ Fluorometer (http://www.genengnews.com/elisareduxchallenge/the_sponsor.aspx#product5).

Register now to start pitting your wits against our latest puzzle. Click here (http://www.genengnews.com/RNAiChallenge/challenge_tshirt.aspx) to see the free challenge T-shirt you will receive if you’re one of the first 150 people to register.

Here’s the first clue to help you out: A clue to the solution may be found on this page— http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/Products-and-Services/Applications/RNAi-Epigenetics-and-Gene-Regulation.html

A new clue will be posted every Monday on the Cryptogram site to nudge you in the right direction. The contest will close once the cipher has been correctly decoded. The first person to reveal the message will be featured in a future issue of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.

About the Partnership
GEN and Scintellix, LLC have formed a partnership to explore the hidden meaning found in biological imagery. The Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi is the fourth installment of the partnership. For more information, go to: www.genengnews.com/RNAiChallenge.

About GEN
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) has retained its position as the most widely read biotechnology publication around the globe since its launch in 1981. Published 21 times a year and with additional exclusive editorial content online, GEN ’s unique news and technology focus includes the entire bioproduct life cycle from early-stage R&D, to applied research including omics, biomarkers, as well as diagnostics, to bioprocessing and commercialization. For more information, go to: www.genengnews.com.

About Scintellix, LLC
Scintellix, LLC applies decision analysis methodologies to support the resolution of complex problems in personal and corporate development. The company is located in Raleigh, NC. For more information, go to: www.scintellix.com.

About Life Technologies
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE) is a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables, and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific exploration, leading to discoveries and developments that make life even better. Life Technologies’ customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance personalized medicine, regenerative science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. Life Technologies had sales of more than $3 billion in 2008, employs approximately 9,500 people, has a presence in more than 100 countries, and possesses a rapidly growing intellectual property estate of approximately 3,600 patents and exclusive licenses. Life Technologies was created by the combination of Invitrogen Corporation and Applied Biosystems Inc. For more information on how we are making a difference please visit our website: www.lifetechnologies.com.

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