Roughly 2,000 fathers in the Czech Republic each year don't trust their partners and use DNA testing to check whether they are the child's biological parents. (And one out of every four has his suspicions confirmed.) Private genetics laboratory Genomac is the largest provider of paternity tests, serving about two-thirds of unsure fathers. Genomac provides a rigorous commercial test facility, but it hasn't given up its own research and development. It has earned a number of grants for DNA research, mainly in the areas of tumor diseases, cardiology and neuropsychiatry. In their work on cancer, they can characterize a tumor by testing for specific mutated DNA sequences, which indicate the best therapy for the most successful treatment. "Genomac's participation in grants is documentation of its high credibility. There is a rigorous selection procedure and the workplace must demonstrate very high qualifications." emphasized professor Miloš Pešek, head physician from the Clinic of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases at the Faculty Hospital in Plzen. As a private company, Genomac must work hard. The company's nimbleness was demonstrated in a recent incident: Two weeks ago, an electrical socket started a fire. The physical damage was not extensive, but there were ashes everywhere and the environment was not sterile. However, within six days, the laboratory was functioning normally.

Studying a piece of beef 

Genomac was established five years ago by Marek Minárik and his sister Lucie. He made the decision while working in Silicon Valley. "The environment in Silicon Valley is very compelling; it didn't seem that very much was needed to start in biotechnology and I thought that good ideas would be enough. I wanted to base the company on patents and new technologies, for example on investigative techniques, which is possible in the United States and it is relatively cheap and straightforward to acquire patents. But my thinking was a bit naďve." Minárik recalls. The education of this entrepreneur in health services began with studies of physical chemistry at Charles University in Prague, and separation methods at the Institute of Analytical Chemistry in Vienna. Doctoral study followed at Northeastern University's Barnett Institute in Boston under the direction of renowned professor Barry L. Karger. "In Europe, the work focused mainly on basic research and theory. Overseas, there was a stronger effort to apply research in practice," emphasizes Minárik. After completing his Ph.D at the Barnett, he went to work as a research specialist for Amersham-Pharmacia in California. He never intended to stay permanently in the U.S., so when the atmosphere changed in Silicon Valley after Sept. 11, 2001, he pursued the dream of establishing a company in Prague. With the approval of his sister Lucie, who until then had been concentrating on an academic career in the same field, he started to look for the necessary equipment in second-hand shops. Minárik's father, who owned a company manufacturing chemical devices, helped them considerably and provided the premises for their first laboratory. "We learned to analyze DNA using a piece of beef," laughs Minárik today. The laboratory founders' original vision was to focus on the search for DNA mutations and thus to find whether a cancer has spread in a client's body. "But there are superior methods nowadays, such as CT. We realized it would be better to focus on targeted treatment, where the choice of therapy is based on a the results of a DNA profile," Minárik explains. Genomac's first project was a collaboration with the Military Hospital in Strešovice, on a grant examining DNA mutations in colorectal carcinomas. A year later, they earned two additional grants from the Ministry of Health for research on DNA mutations in prostate and pancreatic cancers. At the end of 2002, the founders of Genomac began commercial DNA testing, first offering paternity testing. This approach brought an income stream for reinvestment, and a year later they were able to move their laboratory from their father's garage to leased facilities in Praha-Stodulky. Currently the team's molecular-genetic laboratories are 200 square meters, fully equipped with a state-of-the-art technology. The laboratory can analyze several thousand samples a day, and with this capacity it is one of the largest private genome centers in Central and Eastern Europe.

Revealing the geographical origin of men 

Genomac provides a range of commercial DNA tests. In addition to paternity tests, they perform a number of preventive genetic tests. These are called for if there is a family history of hereditary disease, such as thrombofilia or cystic fibrosis, and the expectant parents want to avoid complications during pregnancy or with their child's development. These tests are offered mainly in cooperation with the maternity hospital in Praha-Podolí. At present, mothers-to-be must pay for these tests; however, Genomac is working to gain the status of "non-state health facility" , and, when this process is completed, the laboratory may sign contracts with health insurance companies. A novelty is the "geographic test", which reveals the geographic origin of a man. "Based on the genetic profile, we can trace the geographic origin of an applicant," Minárik explains. The test is offered to complement a genealogical search. It only works with males, because the relevant sequences are on the Y chromosome. Genomac has been in the black since 2003. Income from commercial services increases annually by 20%; last year, the company achieved revenues between 5 million and 6 million Czech crowns. The laboratory provides about 1,200 paternity tests annually, plus about 100 genographic tests and about 20 other tests per month. Nine people and up to four students work at Genomac.

Researching cancer and mental disorders Research is an important part of Genomac's work. It is focused mainly on disease prevention by means of early diagnosis. Employees of the laboratory have developed their own technologies for detecting specific DNA mutations, which will in time cause inborn developmental defects, cancer and cardiovascular or neuromuscular diseases. Recently, top athletes have been undergoing genetic tests to ascertain whether they have latent cardiac insufficiency, which has caused a number of fatalities among football players. Currently, Genomac is preparing a grant application on pancreatic carcinoma. A malignant pancreatic tumor, to which former Minister of Culture Pavel Dostál succumbed last year, metastasizes very fast and is often inoperable in its more advanced phases. The research is very promising: with a timely diagnosis, patient's pancreas can be removed, preventing metastases from spreading. In collaboration with the Clinic of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Plzen, Genomac is preparing a grant application to forecast treatment efficiency based on analyses of tumors and their DNA mutations. "The collaboration with Genomac is very good." Professor Miloš Pešek emphasizes, "In particular, Marek Minárik is one of those rare people with whom one can collaborate long-term and without problems. It is a top facility; they develop methods for us. Our collaboration is in its fourth year."

New facilities in Praha-Ruzyne 

Predictive testing in oncology is an area where Minárik sees one of the greatest opportunities for further development. "We are one of few who are able to detect such small quantities of mutated cells. We acquired a patent for this special technology and now we must prove the validity of this method," says Minárik. Another unique feature of Genomac is that it is able to assay nucleic acids from any biological materials -- blood, saliva, feces, bone or archived materials. To fulfill qualification requirements, Genomac undergoes domestic and international quality control every year. "Genomac is one of the few good private genetic laboratories." stated professor Radim Brdicka from the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. "It fulfills the qualification requirements and provides good service over the course of cooperating with various clinics. I can trust Genomac," In the next few years, Genomac plans to extend its portfolio of activities and start providing more complete services. They plan to build a technical-administrative building in Praha Ruzyne that will include not only laboratories but also examination and consultation rooms. "We want to concentrate on oncology, and on the genetics of pregnant women and newborns. In addition to the extraction laboratory, we should have two or three ambulances; we should employ physicians, geneticists and oncologists who will consult on test results, recommend treatments and provide a corresponding level of health care," Minárik says. Prenatal genetics is a lucrative field, and Genomac expects to secure an investor for the new premises. Minárik hopes that within 18 months, the construction can be approved.