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DNA Genotek Reaches Exclusive Distribution Agreement with Abyntek Biopharma S.L. in Spain

s Oragene®•DNA family of products in Spain. Abyntek Biopharma is one of Spain’s leading distributors of biological products.

Abyntek will offer DNA Genotek’s complete line offor the collection, stabilization, transportation and preparation of DNA from saliva on an exclusive basis for customers in Spain. Oragene•DNA enables easy, reliable and cost effective collection of samples from large numbers of individuals while providing high quality DNA. Abyntek is an integral part of Progenika Biopharma S.A., a pioneer in the field of .

“The addition of DNA Genotek’s world-class Oragene•DNA products to our lineup makes it easier for Abyntek to provide our customers with reliable and proven methods for DNA collection,” said Ainara Hernando, general manager, Abyntek Biopharma S.L. “We’re committed to offering products that will provide the best opportunities for success for our customers' research and clinical needs, and we believe DNA Genotek’s Oragene•DNA product will perfectly complement our offerings and facilitate personalized medicine applications for our customers.”

“This agreement strengthens DNA Genotek’s ability to support customers on a worldwide basis, complementing our overall focus on customer service,” said Brian Smith, vice president, sales, DNA Genotek Inc. “We see growing demand for our products for research, clinical applications, companion diagnostics and personalized medicine and this agreement provides an ideal addition to our ability to serve existing and new customers in this market.”

About Abyntek:Abyntek Biopharma S.L. is a privately owned biotechnology company that centres its activity in developing, producing and commercializing antigens and antibodies. A strong investment in R+D constitutes one of the fundamental values on which the business strategy of Abyntek is based, mainly focused on the development of new technologies to produce monoclonal antibodies. Abyntek is part of Progenika Group, pioneers in Personalized Medicine.

About DNA Genotek:DNA Genotek focuses on providing high-quality biological sample collection products. The company’s Oragene family of products provides the best way to collect and preserve large amounts of DNA or RNA from saliva. The company also offers a family of products for collecting DNA from animals and livestock. The reliability and ease-of-use of the company’s products have resulted in rapid adoption at top-tier health research institutions globally, including Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, and Johns Hopkins. DNA Genotek markets its products worldwide and has established a global customer base in over 100 countries. For more information about DNA Genotek, visit

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Shauna WhiteDNA Genotek Inc.613-723-5757Email Information

Stocks up as investors turn attention to US jobs

Stock markets were buoyant Wednesday despite concerns over Japan's nuclear crisis, as investors turned their attention towards a raft of upcoming U.S. economic data.

After focusing for weeks on Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami as well as the uprisings in the Arab world, traders are turning their attention to fundamental economic indicators, such as the pace of global economic expansion and the trajectory of interest rates.

"The two big geopolitical stories — the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan and unrest in Libya — remain very much in play but with the backdrop not changing significantly on a day-by-day basis, it does seem as if markets are now keen to try and turn the page," said Ben Potter, research analyst at IG Markets.

The most important piece of economic data this week will be Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for March — the figures often set the stock market tone for a week or two after their release. They could have an even bigger impact this time as investors gauge when the U.S. Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates.

Recent comments from Fed officials have indicated that interest rates may rise sooner than the markets had previously been anticipating. That has been reflected in the recent subdued performance in U.S. Treasuries.

At the moment the consensus in the markets is that payrolls rose by 190,000 during March but that the unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey, was unchanged at 8.9 percent.

Figures from the ADP payrolls firm did little to alter expectations. The 201,000 increase in private payrolls reported by ADP was more or less in line with market expectations for a 210,000 rise.

"We don't look for any change to the median forecast of 190,000 for total nonfarm payrolls and 210,000 for private payrolls," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc.

The in-line figures had little impact on markets.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.4 percent at 5,957 while Germany's DAX rose 1.7 percent to 7,049. The CAC-40 in France was 0.8 percent firmer at 4,021.

Wall Street was also poised for a solid opening — Dow futures were up 44 points at 12,269 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures were up a little over 5 points at 1,322.

The prevailing view in the markets is that the Fed won't start to raise its main interest rate from the current 0-0.25 percent range unless there is clear evidence that employment is increasing and that the unemployment rate is heading down to 7 percent.

The dollar's fortunes this year will likely hinge to a large extent on what happens to U.S. interest rates. One of the reasons why the dollar has underperformed over the past few months is the expectation that other central banks, such as the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, will be tightening policy sooner than the Fed.

By mid afternoon London time, the dollar was 0.7 percent firmer at 83 yen while the euro was 0.1 percent lower at $1.4095.

The euro was hurt somewhat by figures showing economic confidence in the 17 countries that use the euro slipped modestly in March. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, revealed that its main economic sentiment indicator fell 0.6 points to 107.3. Though the fall was bigger than anticipated and the sharpest decline since May 2010, the indicator remains at relatively high levels compared with the last few financial crisis years.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 2.6 percent to 9,708.79, its highest level since March 11, when the post-earthquake tsunami smashed into the country's northeast — upending entire cities, killing thousands of people and causing a nuclear power plant to malfunction and leak toxic radiation into the air, water and soil.

The Nikkei was boosted by a steadily weakening yen and data showing the country's industrial production climbed for the fourth straight month in February. Still, the government warned that industrial production would fall sharply as the effects of the tsunami and the earthquake that spawned it were felt.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.7 percent to 23,451.43, South Korea's Kospi added 0.9 percent to 2,091.38. Shares in Singapore, Taiwan and New Zealand were also higher. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.4 percent to 4,822.20.

Bucking the trend were indexes on mainland China. The Shanghai Composite Index dropped slightly to 2,955.77, and the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index declined 0.8 percent to 1,264.59.

In the oil markets, the focus remained very much on Libya, where forces loyal to longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi pushed rebels back. There is a growing feeling that the rebels may not be able to oust Gadhafi militarily unless already contentious international airstrikes go further in taking out his forces.

The uncertainty is keeping oil prices elevated — Libya accounts for a little under 2 percent of global oil production.

A barrel of crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange was down 44 cents at $104.35 while the equivalent Brent rate in London fell 35 cents to $114.61.

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Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.

US likely to help Taiwan upgrade F-16s: premier

Taiwan Premier Wu Den-yih confirmed Tuesday that the United States is likely to help the island upgrade its F-16 A/B fighters as it is reluctant to arm Taipei with more advanced jets.

Taiwan has been pressing for the more powerful F-16 C/Ds, saying it badly needs the weaponry as a bargaining chip against its former bitter rival China.

But the fate of a proposed arms deal remains uncertain, Wu said, amid speculation that it could jeopardise Washington's ties with Beijing.

"My understanding is that Washington does not say 'yes' or 'no'. The deal is still under Washington's evaluation," Wu said during a press conference in Taipei.

Wu said that "upgrading the F-16A/Bs is the more likely direction".

The US Congress in 1979 passed the Taiwan Relations Act requiring the United States to provide the island with defensive weapons.

A sale of F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan would be certain to ignite the anger of Beijing, which reacted furiously when the Barack Obama administration in January 2010 announced a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for the self-governing island.

The package included Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, and equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, but no submarines or new fighter jets.

A furious Beijing suspended military exchanges with Washington in response.

The backbone of Taiwan's air force consists of some 60 ageing F-5s, 126 Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDFs), 146 US-made F-16A/Bs and 56 French-made Mirage 2000-5s.

Ties with China have improved markedly since Beijing-friendly Ma Ying-jeou became Taiwan's president in 2008, but China still refuses to renounce the possibility of using force should the island declare independence.

"I Am Number Four" to open on Imax screens Friday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – "I Am Number Four," the action thriller from director D.J. Caruso, will be released this Friday on Imax screens, it was announced Tuesday.

The film, starring Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron and Teresa Palmer, lands on 228 Imax screens domestically, day-and-date with its North American opening.

Internationally, "I Am Number Four" will play on 96 Imax screens, nine of them opening Friday.

Additional international dates will be announced in the coming days.

"I Am Number Four," written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Marti Noxon, follows John Smith, a fugitive on the run from enemies sent to destroy him, is based on the book by Pittacus Lore.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

Apple Is Closing in on Nokia's Global Smartphone Lead

Smartphones are still selling in record numbers. Vendors shipped 100.9 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. That's up 87.2 percent from the 53.9 million smartphones sold in the year-ago period.

The numbers are almost as dramatic for the whole of 2010, during which vendors shipped a total of 302.6 million smartphones worldwide, up 74.4 percent from 173.5 million in 2009.

"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors' smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian."

Nokia Holds on To Top Spot

The top five smartphone vendors are, in order, Nokia, Apple, Research In Motion, Samsung and HTC. However, IDC said Nokia's lead is in danger as it continues to struggle in the North American market.

The smartphone market is getting more competitive. Symbian^3 and Windows Phone 7 entered the scene in 2010. In the first quarter of commercial availability, IDC said both Symbian^3 and Windows Phone 7 ramped up quickly. And by the end of the quarter, Nokia had shipped five million Symbian^3 units while Windows Phone 7 vendors shipped more than 1.5 million units.

"While Nokia is challenged at the high end and certainly has problems with dropping profitability -- quarter over quarter and year over year its profits are down -- unit sales are still very strong," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "Nokia still has tremendous distribution and there are still people who like Symbian, particularly at some of the lower price points that some of the newer products are shipping."

Apple Gains Smartphone Ground

Apple's iPhone gained more ground in the worldwide smartphone market, IDC said, with shipment growth coming from Asia/Pacific and Japan. What's more, IDC reported, Apple made further inroads into the enterprise market, with more companies adding Apple's iPhone to their approved smartphone list and increased development of corporate-centered applications.

"Apple being number two is no shock or surprise to anyone, but it is rather momentous," Greengart said. "Apple is now not only one of the leaders in terms of mindshare, but also in market share, and they've been very strong in dollars."

Meanwhile, Research In Motion is showing strength, reaching a new shipment volume for a single quarter in the fourth quarter, and posting nearly identical year-over-year growth for both the quarter and the year. Stronger interest from outside North America helped. Greengart said, "Reports of RIM's demise have been greatly exaggerated."

HTC Cracks Top Five

Samsung took top honors for the largest year-over-year improvement for both the quarter and the year, an accomplishment largely fueled by its popular Galaxy S series smartphones. And HTC reaped triple-digit growth for both the quarter and the year, behind Samsung.

What's in store for the smartphone market in 2011? Further growth as smartphone makers deepen and broaden their offerings. Llamas said the high end of the market has been important to help grow the smartphone market in recent years.

"IDC expects vendors to provide more midrange and low-end smartphones at lower prices to reach the mass market," Llamas said. "In the same manner, even high-end devices will become available at lower prices. This will result in greater competition and more selection for users."