MEDTECH, MEDICAL
Businesswire | May 23, 2023
Twist Bioscience Corporation a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, today announced the launch of a portfolio of RNA sequencing tools, which includes the Twist RNA Exome, Twist RNA Library Prep Kit and the Twist Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & Hemoglobin (Globin) Depletion Kit, as well as custom target enrichment capabilities for RNA and whole transcriptome sequencing. This comprehensive suite of RNA tools can enable targeted or whole transcriptome research across fields including precision medicine, biomarker discovery and immuno-oncology research.
“Twist’s RNA sequencing portfolio builds on our established NGS capabilities in genomic sequencing and methylation detection and expands into gene expression analysis, opening a new and significant market for Twist,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “This offering allows our customers to leverage Twist’s leading target enrichment platform to discover and resolve low abundance RNA transcripts in the human transcriptome. Our RNA sequencing workflows are designed specifically for challenging samples. By enriching relevant transcripts, we can enable researchers to get high-quality data from a range of sample types, including damaged RNA.”
Unlike the genome, which is relatively static, the transcriptome changes over time in response to varying disease states and drug therapies. Gene expression levels also differ across tissues and cell types. To fully understand this dynamic quality of RNA, researchers often sequence RNA samples from the same source at multiple time points, incurring additional costs and resource burdens. Each component of the Twist RNA sequencing portfolio is purpose-built to maximize data quality, minimize workflow inefficiency, decrease wasted sequencing reads, and support comprehensive transcriptomic profiling across even low-quality and low-input samples common in oncology.
The Twist RNA sequencing portfolio provides end-to-end workflows that can be used to study total RNA and measure the whole transcriptome, protein coding sequences of messenger RNA (mRNA) or custom targets. These products can also be integrated into customers’ existing workflows. Twist RNA sequencing tools enable minimal hands-on time and increase the scale of samples sequenced through utilizing automation. They are compatible with a wide range of sample inputs, including difficult or low-quality samples. RNA panel designs can also now incorporate Twist’s new exon-aware design algorithm, which reduces bias in detection and can provide an important tool for researchers studying rare gene transcripts that drive tumor biology.
Twist Targeted RNA Sequencing Workflow
Twist target enrichment for RNA leverages the performance, efficiency and sensitivity of Twist target enrichment for sequencing of RNA transcripts of interest across samples and species. It can be used to enrich relevant transcripts with the RNA Exome or in custom RNA panels.
Twist RNA Exome
The Twist RNA Exome with Twist’s exon-aware design algorithm enables targeted sequencing of the protein coding regions of the human transcriptome without bias toward specific combinations of exons. The Twist RNA Exome covers up to 99.9% of protein coding sequencing in Gencode and RefSeq databases. This coverage, along with the exon-aware design approach, could enable researchers to capture important transcripts including those in low input and degraded samples from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections.
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Workflow
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing can be used to discover novel transcripts, including low expressing genes and novel isoforms. It can be used with a variety of samples including whole blood, fresh and frozen tissue samples and low quality samples, such as FFPE samples. The Twist rRNA & Globin Depletion Kit can be used with this workflow to deplete rRNA and hemoglobin targets so that researchers can study the rest of the transcriptome. The full workflow can be completed in less than five hours with minimal hands-on time.
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.
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MEDTECH, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
PRNewswire | June 01, 2023
Mission Bio, Inc., the pioneer in high-throughput single-cell DNA and multi-omics analysis, announced breakthrough improvements to the Tapestri® Platform and its core chemistry that enable highly confident detection of rare cells for a range of applications. With Tapestri® v3 chemistry, researchers can discover tiny numbers of single cells that, until now, easily escaped detection and influenced disease in invisible ways. At the same time, drug developers can use the new capabilities for a more complete understanding of their advanced therapies, potentially leading to safer, more effective medicines.
The new Tapestri® v3 chemistry increases the number of cells captured per sample by up to four times compared to the prior chemistry, a notable enhancement. With enhanced cell capture, the Tapestri® Platform can more reliably detect rare cells, opening incredible new possibilities like improving the assessment of measurable residual disease (MRD), a key metric used increasingly in clinical settings to estimate the risk of relapse with certain cancers.
In the case of MRD in hematological cancers, rare subclonal variants are commonly missed by bulk NGS due to its averaging effect, hindering the detection of relapse-driving clones that potentially offer new therapeutic targets. With Tapestri®'s expanded capabilities, new integrated multi-omics tools like the Tapestri® scMRD Assay for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) will offer clinicians additional therapeutic insights, rather than providing a binary 'yes or no' answer to the presence of residual disease. A team of investigators from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) using the assay has reported a high sensitivity of 0.01% limit of detection in data presented at Mission Bio's Tapestri® scMRD for AML Summit last year.
Tapestri®'s new capabilities also hold promise for cell and gene therapy developers looking to improve quality assessment throughout the therapy development process. Powered by Tapestri® v3 chemistry, the increase in cell throughput means Tapestri® Genome Editing Solution can measure gene editing outcomes at single-cell resolution – even for very low-frequency events like translocations, which can have significant effects on the safety of the therapy.
Tapestri® v3 is the latest example of Mission Bio's continued focus on customer-centric product and service development. The company has recently implemented additional quality control measurements including design and development, release, and documentation processes compliant with the ISO 9001 standard.
"Our customers' success is at the forefront of our mind," said Adam Abate, PhD, Co-founder and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Mission Bio. "Researchers and drug developers are demanding ever-greater sensitivity and highly robust products to effectively progress their research or advanced therapeutic program, and we are committed to serving our customers and helping them achieve their goals."
The new v3 reagents will be available for shipping starting in mid-June.
About Mission Bio
Mission Bio is a life sciences company that accelerates discoveries and cures for a wide range of diseases by equipping researchers with the tools they need to better measure and predict our resistance and response to new therapies. Mission Bio's multi-omics approach improves time-to-market for new therapeutics, including innovative cell and gene therapies that provide new pathways to health. Founded in 2014, Mission Bio has secured investment from Novo Growth, Cota Capital, Agilent Technologies, Mayfield Fund, and others.
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MEDTECH, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Businesswire | May 31, 2023
ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. an AI-driven biotherapeutic research and technology company, announced that its subsidiary, BioStrand®, has successfully solved the Information Integration Dilemma (IID) by developing a unique technology design that enables their patented HYFT Technology to encapsulate and unify diverse data modalities - including syntactical (sequence) data, 3D structural data, unstructured scientific information (e.g. scientific literature), and beyond - into a singular, integrated framework.
This breakthrough approach facilitates efficient data fusion, enabling a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of complex biological data. With HYFTs, BioStrand effectively addresses the IID, paving the way for quicker and more potent biological discoveries. This innovation has the potential to bring a paradigm shift in various domains including drug development, biomarker discovery, and the study of disease pathology, among others. The IID has long been a significant challenge for the biotechnology industry, as researchers and investors have grappled with the complexities of integrating various data types to gain meaningful insights. In the rapidly evolving field of biotechnology, data is generated from multiple sources such as scientific literature, experimental data, and genomic information. The integration of these different data types is critical for accelerating innovation and driving the discovery of novel therapeutics. However, traditional approaches have struggled to efficiently combine and analy ze this diverse data, often leading to incomplete or inaccurate conclusions. BioStrand's breakthrough approach leverages its patented HYFT® technology and LENSaiTM platform, which together enable the efficient analysis and understanding of complex biological data. By solving the IID, BioStrand has unlocked new possibilities for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, which is expected to benefit both patients and the investor community.
Dirk Van Hyfte, Co-Founder and Head of Innovation of BioStrand, said, "We are thrilled to have overcome the Information Integration Dilemma, which has long been a major hurdle in our industry. Our HYFT technology and LENSai platform are now poised to revolutionize the way researchers and AI-driven systems process and analyze complex biological data, ultimately leading to faster and more effective drug discovery and development."
BioStrand's HYFT technology extracts unique patterns, known as Universal Fingerprint™ patterns, from the entire biosphere, and integrates them with various data sources, such as scientific papers and medical records. The resulting Knowledge Graph encompasses over 660 million HYFTs and more than 25 billion relations, providing a powerful resource for researchers and AI-driven analysis. The LENSai platform, powered by HYFT technology, takes advantage of the latest advancements in large language models (LLMs) to bridge the gap between syntax (sequences) and semantics (functions). This enables the platform to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data, without the limitations of traditional LLMs. IPA's support of BioStrand's pioneering work reinforces its commitment to investing in cutting-edge biotechnology solutions with the potential to transform the industry. The successful resolution of the Information Integration Dilemma not only demonstrates the innovative nature of BioStrand's technology but also highlights the Company's dedication to improving the lives of patients worldwide.
About ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd
ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. has several subsidiaries in North America and Europe including entities such as Talem Therapeutics LLC, BioStrand BV, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Canada) Ltd., and ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Europe) B.V. The IPA Family is a biotherapeutic research and technology group that leverages systems biology, multi-omics modeling, and complex artificial intelligence systems to support its proprietary technologies in bioplatform-based antibody discovery. Services include highly specialized, full-continuum therapeutic biologics discovery, development, and out-licensing to support its business partners in their quest to discover and develop novel biologics against the most challenging targets.
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