The winner of last year's Sussex innovation award is playing a major part in the fight against both crime and crippling diseases.

Genpak, based at the Innovation Centre at Falmer, provides the tools scientists need to identify the role of the individual genes that make up human life.

It also provides equipment, kits and chemicals to analyse DNA and to sequence genes. The company was founded by Dr Julian Burke in a garden shed at his Brighton home.

Organisations involved in the identification of the genes have been able to cut their costs by up to 40 per cent using Genpak products.

Among its developments is a robot than can place 64,000 DNA samples on a single glass slide.

In the past year, the company has used its DNA testing kits to help police forces identify rape suspects. It now offers the most rapid DNA sequencing service in Europe.

A recent high-profile DNA test confirmed A6 killer James Hanratty was guilty.

Other users of Genpak technology include most of the main molecular genetics institutes, universities and scientific research companies in the UK, Europe and the Far East.

Genpak has doubled its turnover every year since 1997.

Dr Burke is also a lecturer in molecular biology at the University of Sussex and has played a key role in the development of new treatments for a number of diseases.

Last year Genpak merged with Genetix Group and floated on the stock market with a value in excess of £100 million.

The company has six key employees; four based in the UK and two in the US, where it has three of the five major genome research centres as its customers.

In the pharmaceutical area, customers include GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Wellcome. With the increased use of genomics in drug discover, Genpak expects to expand on this blue-chip customer base.

Genpak's goal is to provide fast-track developments from laboratory to the market in less than 15 months.

This is rare in the industry but has already been achieved with three Genpak products.

A fast-track system of entering the awards, used last year, is again available.

Companies interested in entering are asked to register their name for awards, indicating the categories they are interested in.

They can do this online at www.sussex-business-awards.co.uk, or they can complete the registration form available from the awards office on 01273 207155.

Entrants are asked to complete a simple candidate profile and have to answer a small number of short questions in bullet-point format.

They should send their profile, together with the entry form, to Sussex Business Awards, 4 Frederick Terrace, Frederick Place, Brighton BN1 1AX, as soon as possible and no later than the closing date of July 2.