Artemis, working closely with Exelixis, was founded in June 1998 by Dr. Stadler and the scientific founders: Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, Professor at the Max-Planck Institute in Tübingen, and Klaus Rajewsky, Professor and Director of the Institute for Genetics at the University of Cologne. Artemis' approach is focused on target validation in both zebrafish and mice, systems that will substantially enhance the drug discovery efforts at Exelixis. ARTEMIS has developed the ArteMice® platform, a combination of rapid and sophisticated gene vector design, efficient and expert ES cell transfection techniques, novel blastocyst injection techniques and the patented CreER gene switch. TaconicArtemis offers the ArteMice® platform to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and to universities. TaconicArtemis is majority owned by Taconic with Exelixis Inc., South San Francisco CA being a minority shareholder.