More born than will survive

One of the founding principles of Darwinian evolution is natural selection - in every generation more offspring are born than will survive to reproduce, and genetic mutations that confer selective advantages determine which individuals will contribute to the next generation. A number of companies have developed technologies that use this principle in vitro to select compounds with desired (advantageous) properties.

Last week's deal between Phylos Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) and Hoechst Research and Technology Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Frankfurt, Germany) introduces a new player in the field, raising the question of which technologies have the selective advantage that will allow them to survive. Two of Phylos' competitors for in vitro evolution and selection success are NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Boulder, Colo.) and Maxygen Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.)...