Estonia's genome project to be delayed

TALLINN - The collection of genetic data from 10,000 Estonians will not be starting this fall as originally planned, and will be delayed until at least Feb. 2002 due to red tape and difficulties with raising the necessary financing.

As late as last spring the leaders of the Estonian Genome Project Foundation were in a more optimistic frame of mind, promising to get the pilot project off the ground within a few months. The manager of the project, Krista Kruuv, now admits that the original kick-off deadline of Nov. 2001 has been dropped, and Feb. 2002 is set as the next deadline.

"We could start sooner than that, but it wouldn't be expedient either at Christmas time or immediately at the start of the New Year," Kruuv observed.

"Major funds will not become available until November, and the elaboration of a unique system of contracts protecting the rights of all the involved parties is taking time, too."

Professor of biotechnology Andres Metspalu, a member of the management board of the genome project, likewise admitted that the project has so far failed to find investors, even though preparations are underway and there have been nibbles from interested parties.

"I was a little naive to think it would be simple to raise the money," Metspalu said. "It's hard to find money for a project with no rails laid as yet."

Metspalu hopes to get together with potential backers at an international gene conference to be held in Tartu in September. But even after the signing of a contract between the Genome Foundation, the public limited company EGeen set up to execute the financing concept of the project and an investor, it is going to take six to eight weeks until the money actually comes in.

Until that time it is not possible to hold public procurement tenders.

Almost the entire material base of the genome project is to be set up through procurement tenders.

"As the Genome Project Foundation was established by the state, we have to announce public procurement tenders for all stages above a certain cost," Kruuv explained.

This applies equally to blood sampling equipment and information technology hardware and software. The project also needs laboratory equipment and a coding center.

"There are going to be quite a few tenders," Kruuv stated. The total cost of the pilot project, involving 10,000 people, is set at $2.5 million.

The Genome Project Foundation hopes to sign a contract next week with the Enterprise Estonia foundation on a loan of four million kroons ($235,000), which would allow it to go ahead with preparations for the pilot project. So far, the foundation has had to manage on a government appropriation of one million kroons.