MEDTECH, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Twist Bioscience Corporation | February 13, 2023
Twist Bioscience Corporation, a company that helps customers succeed by providing high-quality synthetic DNA on its silicon platform, recently announced technology early access to the Twist enhanced Whole Genome Sequencing (eWGS) solution for applications related to non-human gnomics at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology 2023 General Meeting conducted in Hollywood, Florida. eWGS is a unique solution that allows researchers to collect simultaneous low-pass whole genome data as well as in-depth coverage of specific areas in a high-throughput and cost-effective workflow.
The eWGS workflow begins with a modified Twist 96-plex library preparation kit, which prepares 96 samples in a single tube for sequencing. Following that, a single-tube 96-plex enrichment on an aliquot of the library is performed using a customized panel to enrich further targets that require additional coverage. The original and enhanced libraries are then merged into a single sequencer-ready pool with low whole genome coverage (0.5x to 4x) and high target-specific coverage. Researchers can tailor the coverage differential between low-pass and high-pass sites to their own needs. Preparing and enriching 96 samples for sequencing at once in a single pool enables a high-throughput workflow and may save costs by utilizing fewer materials and resources.
Twist Bioscience’s co-founder and CEO Emily M. Leproust commented, “In agricultural genomics, researchers constantly have to make a tradeoff between cost and insight. Deep sequencing across entire genomes is cost prohibitive, forcing researchers to turn to less costly approaches like genotyping by sequencing, microarrays, or low-pass WGS. These methods impose limits on the resolution, accuracy, or flexibility of experiments.” She added, “With our eWGS solution, researchers can now get all the information they need without compromising on cost or data, enabling our customers to push new boundaries in trait selection, breeding and other applications.”
(Source – Business Wire)
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Founded in 2013, Twist Bioscience is a leading synthetic biology and genomics firm that has created a proprietary DNA synthesis platform to industrialize biological engineering. It assists researchers in the Life Sciences who are transforming the world for the better. Scientists from several sectors, including health, agriculture, data storage and industrial chemicals, employ its oligo pools, synthetic genes, and NGS target enrichment to improve human lives and the planet's sustainability. Its technology eliminates inefficiencies and enables cost-effective, high-throughput, quick, accurate DNA synthesis and sequencing. The company provides both the quantity and quality that researchers need to quickly capitalize on future prospects.
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MEDTECH, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
MaxCyte | January 04, 2023
MaxCyte, a leading commercial cell-engineering company, announced the signing of a strategic platform license (SPL) with Catamaran Bio, a biotechnology enterprise creating off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cell therapeutics to cure a wide range of cancers.
While Catamaran acquires non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform per the terms of the agreement, in exchange, MaxCyte will receive platform licensing fees and revenue related to its programs.
Catamaran is actively developing highly potent allogeneic, cryopreserved CAR-NK cell therapeutics using synthetic biology and non-viral cell engineering capable of treating challenging cancers, including solid tumors, by integrating new functional features with the inherent cancer-fighting properties of NK cells. In addition, the company created the TAILWIND® platform, an integrated set of technologies, to engineer, expand, and process NK cells into safe and effective off-the-shelf cell therapy products for numerous cancer types.
The MaxCyte ExPERT™ instrument portfolio is the next generation of clinically verified electroporation technology for complicated and scalable cell creation. The ExPERT™ platform provides the high-end performance required to enable the next era of biological and cellular treatments by delivering high transfection efficiency, seamless scaling, and expanded functionality. MaxCyte's Catamaran agreement is the company's 19th overall SPL.
About MaxCyte
MaxCyte is a prominent commercial cell-engineering firm dedicated to advancing breakthrough cell-based research and next-generation cell therapy discovery, development, and commercialization. Over the years, it has been developing and commercializing its unique Flow Electroporation® platform, which allows for the intricate creation of a wide range of cells. In addition, its ExPERT™ platform, based on its Flow Electroporation technology, has been created to assist the rapidly increasing cell therapy market and can be used across the high-growth cell therapy sector, from discovery and development to commercialization of next-generation cell-based therapies.
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MEDTECH, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
SOPHiA GENETICS and QIAGEN | March 06, 2023
SOPHiA GENETICS, a healthcare cloud-based software company, announced a new partnership with QIAGEN N.V. that will pair QIAseq reagent technology with the SOPHiA DDM™ platform to improve tumor analysis via next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Customers can utilize QIAseq panels with SOPHiA DDM™, a cloud-based data analysis platform to enable new research perspectives. The partnership will support the detection of somatic variants using QIAseq targeted DNA pro panels for homologous recombination repair. HRR is a biomarker test that helps identify tumors with specific mutations that may be sensitive to PARP inhibitors in oncology.
SOPHiA GENETICS's Set-Up Program, which aims to establish and demonstrate any test's analytical performance before it is carried out, will be integrated with QIAGEN's kits to support a range of applications. This partnership will allow customers to improve the design of new workflows using QIAseq technologies, while SOPHiA DDM™ will offer extensive applications for QIAGEN kits.
QIAGEN intends to expand its partnership with SOPHiA GENETICS to other analysis areas, such as utilizing custom solutions and QIAseq panels. This partnership is the first one in QIAGEN's QIAseq Platform Partnership.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can transform the detection and management of rare diseases and cancers. However, it also generates large, intricate, and messy datasets that are challenging to analyze. Identifying causal variants and getting valuable insights from NGS data requires specialized expertise, time, and numerous resources. The SOPHiA DDM™ Platform is a machine learning-based analytical tool that can efficiently call, annotate, and pre-classify variants from raw NGS data. In addition, it features user-friendly capabilities to facilitate prioritization, interpretation and reporting.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN is a global provider of sample and assay technologies for academic and pharmaceutical research, molecular diagnostics, and applied tests. In addition, the firm offers a wide range of products and solutions for the isolation, purification, and analysis of DNA, RNA, and proteins, as well as automation and bioinformatics services. With over 35 countries and over 5,000 employees, QIAGEN serves customers in various fields such as human healthcare, animal health, and environmental testing. The company is headquartered in Venlo, Netherlands, and has offices and facilities across the globe.
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