Genomics/Proteomics

From tackling the COVID-19 pandemic to paving the way for future global health challenges, RNA vaccines have rapidly gained attention in recent years. Researchers are already working to extend their capabilities for next-gen medicines. For example, scientists are working to create multivalent RNA formulations that can fight multiple virus variants. They are also exploring AI…

Illumina, the world’s largest gene sequencing company, faces a record fine from the E.U. for acquiring startup Grail without approval. The $8 billion deal closed in August 2021 despite ongoing EU. and U.S. investigations. A year later, the EU prohibited the merger, citing reduced innovation and choice. The expected $453 million fine, which would be…

Emerging as a spinoff from Alphabet’s experimental division X, SandboxAQ recently pulled back the curtain on its latest endeavor —  the biopharma molecular simulation division AQBioSim. The venture has attracted investments from significant figures like former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt, who is now the chair of Sandbox AQ, and Salesforce.com Inc. founder Marc Benioff’s Time…

Machine learning algorithms, such as Alphabet’s neural network-based model AlphaFold2, are steadily transforming medical research, shedding light on complex biological structures. A recent case in point involves research using the technology to explore the Commander complex, a 16-protein complex crucial for cellular protein transport processes. This complex is not only vital for normal cellular function,…

Clinicians are ready and eager for the future of diagnostic and prognostic models — ones that are built on proteomics. I have been feeling and hearing one key theme in 2022 – physicians are ready, even dare I say eager, to get their hands on proteomic tests and tools that better empower and equip them…

Technology enabling the discovery and development of new drugs is rapidly evolving. We asked representatives from KBI Biopharma, Phylloceuticals and Provectus Algae for their predictions on the platforms and technologies that will have the biggest impact on drug discovery efforts in 2023. 1. 2023 could be ‘massive showcase’ for ML in pharma Drug developers are…

At AWS Re:Invent in Las Vegas, Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN) subsidiary AWS launched Amazon Omics to help researchers sift through genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data. The volume of such data is exploding. The National Human Genome Research Institute estimates that researchers will need approximately 40 exabytes to store genome-sequence data generated internationally by 2025. One exabyte equates to one…

Illumina (Nasdaq:ILMN) announced that it commenced a headcount reduction totaling approximately 5% of its global workforce. The company said yesterday that it is proactively realigning its core operating expenses in response to the current macroeconomic environment. It seeks to maintain its focus on its innovation roadmap and sustainable long-term growth, according to an SEC filing. Earlier…

Illumina (Nasdaq:ILMN) announced last week that it launched its new NovaSeq X series of production-scale sequencers. San Diego-based Illumina said its new sequencers “push the limits of what is possible with genomic medicine.” NovaSeq X and NovaSeq X Plus offer faster, more powerful and more sustainable sequencing. The latter can generate more than 20,000 whole…

Founded in 2017, the proteomics company Seer (Nasdaq:SEER) is building up a growing roster of customers, including pharma and biotech companies, translational and academic labs and CROs. Applications of its technology include biomarker discovery, target identification and multiomics research for cancer or other complex disease detection. Recently, Weill Cornell Medicine and privately-held SpaceX used Seer’s…

DNA Script announced today that it raised $165 million in a Series C financing round, bringing its total capital raised to $280 million. South San Francisco-based DNA Script earmarked the funds raised to accelerate expansion and commercialization for the company’s Syntax benchtop nucleic acid printer and to broaden its portfolio of products powered by enzymatic…

DNA Script announced the commercial launch of its Syntax platform with the Syntax system, a benchtop nucleic acid printer. South San Francisco, Calif.-based DNA Script designed its Syntax system, a fully integrated, automated printer powered by enzymatic DNA synthesis (EDS) technology, to synthesize 96 DNA oligos in parallel, comprised of up to 60 nucleotides in…

For almost every major common disease, researchers have less understanding of the severe forms than milder cases. And as a result, people with severe forms of diseases often have few treatment options available.   Thus, the significant unmet medical need for many diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s is to halt disease progression and treat severe…

Alzheimer’s disease has one of the highest financial burdens. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that the cost of the disease in the U.S. will hit $355 billion in 2021. “Not only is Alzheimer’s one of the most expensive, it’s probably one of the most devastating diseases of humans,” said Dr. Allan Levey, professor and chairman of…

Privately-held Genuity Science and Emory University are collaborating with the hopes to accelerate drug research and development for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Clinical breakthroughs for neurodegenerative diseases are rare. The most recent drug to win FDA approval for Alzheimer’s, Namenda (memantine) from AbbVie-acquired Allergan, did so in 2003. And Levodopa, one of the most-effective Parkinson’s…

The RCSB Protein Data Bank has announced that more than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 proteins are available at no cost.  Headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, the RCSB Protein Data Bank released its first SARS-CoV-2 structure — the coronavirus main protease (PDB 6lu7) — on Feb. 5, 2020.  The database has helped drive the development of effective COVID-19 vaccines. It continues to shed…

The EU recently added clauses to COVID-19 vaccine contracts to prioritize vaccines that are effective against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Meanwhile, a U.S. House bill that would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing of coronavirus samples is scheduled for floor debate and the Senate is considering similar legislation. The UK variant (B.1.1.7) that is spreading across…

What do cupcakes have to do with oncology, and more specifically, predictive diagnostics? Before I explain, I’ll provide some context. I recently came across an image that illustrated the difference between how Doppler radar detects conditions for a Tornado Watch versus a Tornado Warning using cupcakes.1 One side of the graphic shows each of the…

Highly-transmissible COVID-19 variants have likely been circulating undetected for months in places like the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. They then seemed to burst onto the scene, fueling large outbreaks that dwarfed preceding ones. While the variants aren’t well understood, they suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating in ways that confer an evolutionary advantage. They thus…

The FDA today released draft guidance designed to make it easier for researchers to seek approvals for drugs designed for individuals with severe genetic diseases. The draft guidance focuses on investigational new drug submissions for antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) products because these are the most common drugs being developed for severely debilitating or life-threatening genetic diseases.…

The FDA has approved an intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs known as GalSafe. The decision marks the first time the agency has signed off on a biotechnology product for both food applications and potential therapeutic use. The news “represents a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen…

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) has expanded its SureSeq line of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels to detect genetic variants associated with breast and ovarian cancer and myeloid disorders. One of the offerings is a myeloid panel that can detect abnormalities in 70 genes associated with a range of diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and…

For the past 18 years, the Cleveland Clinic has predicted what the top 10 medical disruptors will be for the following year. The list of technologies, cultivated by a panel of physicians and scientists at the clinic, was led by Dr. Will Morris, executive medical director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, and Dr. Akhil Saklecha, managing…

Illumina (NSDQ:ILMN) may acquire Grail for more than $8 billion — four years after it spun out the cancer detection startup. That’s according to a Bloomberg report out yesterday, which cited people familiar with the matter. Analysts told Bloomberg that the acquisition would put Illumina — a giant in the DNA sequencing space — in direct…

Mission Bio has secured $70 million in Series C financing to scale its single-cell multi-omics technology, according to the company. Novo Growth, the growth equity of Novo Holdings, led the round that included new investor Soleus Capital. Previous investors Mayfield, Cota, and Agilent also participated in the financing, which brings the company’s total funding to…