April New Products

April 30, 2012 | A summary of the new products in bio-IT released in the past month, many of which were announced at the Bio-IT World Conference & Expo. Don’t miss the products highlighted in Bio-IT World’s Best of Show competition, all of which were released in the past year.   

Partek Incorporated debuted new enhancements and features to their next generation sequencing software, Partek Flow. Among the new features is the inclusion of their algorithm for transcriptome analysis that won the most creative algorithm in the Illumina iDEA challenge last year (see, “Illumina Names iDEA Winners”). The algorithm recognizes that there is not one statistical test that fits all transcripts. To compensate, the algorithm applies multiple models to each transcript to identify the best analysis fit, delivering more statistical power and more information about the factors influencing the expression of each transcript.
Product: Partek Flow
Company: Partek
For more information: www.partek.com  

Convey Computer Corporation announced a new family of hybrid-core computers—the HC-2 Series—and announced that the first HC-2 system earlier this month to The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). The Convey HC-2 systems increase application performance 2-3 times over previous generations of Convey servers and orders of magnitude over commodity servers. Convey's latest hybrid-core systems attain even greater acceleration by vastly increasing performance for the entire application—even those portions not assigned to the coprocessor—and the hybrid-core computing architecture tightly integrates advanced computer architecture and compiler technology with commercial, off-the-shelf hardware—namely Intel Xeon processors and Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The systems help customers dramatically increase performance over industry standard servers while reducing energy costs associated with high-performance computing.
Product: HC-2 Series hybrid-core computers
Company: Convey Computer
For more information: www.conveycomputer.com  

 Recombinant Data launched tranSMART Professional Open Source Services. tranSMART is an open source knowledge management platform used by medical and life science researchers to advance translational science and clinical research through information sharing and collaboration. Recombinant Data co-developed tranSMART with a major pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products company which recently made it available as open source software (see, Running tranSMART for the Drug Development Marathon). Recombinant Professional Open Source Services for tranSMART include: performance tuning and system audit; installation and testing of application updates and patches; technical support with guaranteed response times; end user training and educational materials; dedicated client services coordinator; utilization reporting, application software documentation, warranty, and indemnification; and software roadmap priority.
Product: tranSMART Professional Open Source Services
Company: Recombinant Data
For more information: www.recomdata.com  

TeraDiscoveries announced a strategic relationship with Microsoft Corp. in that Microsoft is providing support and cloud computing time on Windows Azure that TeraDiscoveries will apply to identify inhibitors of 25 biological targets. TeraDiscoveries will use its Inverse Design software that runs computational models to quickly scan virtual chemical libraries to find the strongest inhibitors of a specific biological target. The process identifies novel drug candidates that feature good clinical trial properties and demonstrate low probability of toxic side effects.
Product: Inverse Design software
Company: TeraDiscoveries
For more information: www.teradiscoveries.com  

IDBS has added new functionality to its ChemBook electronic laboratory notebook (ELN). Extending its partnership with ChemAxon, a leading provider of cheminformatics software for the life sciences industry, IDBS has added the Reactor engine, known as the Parallel Synthesis add-on, to support the workflows of chemists, synthesizing libraries of compounds in a parallel fashion.
Product: ChemBook ELN
Company: IDBS with ChemAxon
For more information: www.idbs.com  

Thomson Reuters released an oncology application for mobile tablet devices. The rich visualization dashboard leverages content from Thomson Reuters Cortellis (see, Thomson Reuters Releases APIs for Cortellis Life Sciences Platform), and provides real-time data for clinical oncology drug research and development activities. The solution provides a series of oncology-based clinical dashboards that provide competitive information that quickly answers common questions in drug development. It is platform independent and accessible via the Internet. Mobile tablet-based devices are the primary method used for accessing the solution.
Product: oncology application for mobile tablets
Company: Thomson Reuters
For more information: www.thomsonreuters.com  

Integromics has launched its latest tool for qPCR analysis, RealTime StatMiner 4.3 on TIBCO Spotfire. The new version allows users to upload and analyze data from a large range of qPCR vendors, including Applied Biosystems (Life Technologies), Roche, Bio-Rad, Illumina, Qiagen and Fluidigm. This will provide scientists with a new opportunity to have their data easily processed by a top-level and user-friendly tool. Integromic’s RealTime StatMiner 4.3 represents a major upgrade in terms of software functionality, with many new features, which were previously only available on the standalone version. TIBCO Spotfire users can now benefit from the best qPCR analytics in their environment representing the powerful synergy between Integromics and TIBCO Spotfire.  

The company also launched its OmicsOffice platform for the analysis and integration of genomics data from NGS, qPCR and microarrays technologies. OmicsOffice is the first product bundle which combines Integromic’s software solutions for the analysis of data from NGS (SeqSolve), qPCR (RealTime StatMiner) and microarray experiments (Integromics Biomarker Discovery) on the TIBCO Spotfire platform. With OmicsOffice, Integromics is able to offer users increased flexibility and homogeneity by providing a consistent portfolio of software systems for life sciences.
Product: RealTime StatMiner 4.3 and Omics Office
Company: Integromics
For more information: http://www.integromics.com  

Agilent Technologies has released GeneSpring 12.0, a major expansion of its bioinformatics software designed to enable a new level of medical science breakthroughs. With the new release, GeneSpring users can now analyze next-generation sequencing data and conduct joint analysis at the pathway level across multiple “omics” platforms in a familiar software environment. These new capabilities expand on existing GeneSpring modules for transcriptomic, genetic, metabolomic and proteomic data analysis. The new NGS module was designed and tested for use with Agilent’s SureSelect target-enrichment platform as well as un-targeted next-gen sequencing experiments. An integral part of the NGS module is the QC manager, which provides tools for graphical target enrichment, base quality, mapping and alignment QC. DNA-SEQ workflows in the GeneSpring NGS module include tools for identifying and profiling known and novel variants, annotating SNPs, predicting SNP effects, and detecting structural variants. RNA-SEQ workflows support mRNA profiling in absolute and relative space, including detection and differential expression.
Product: GeneSprint 12.0
Company: Agilent Technologies
For more information:  www.genespring.com  

NextBio announced NextBio Clinical, an extension of the company’s existing life sciences platform to translational medicine applications such as biomarker discovery and clinical trial optimization. Adding curated genomic, molecular and clinical profiles from thousands of individual patients to the platform’s existing repository of data from animal and cell line models, NextBio Clinical enables the earlier application of clinical information to enhance research and development. NextBio Clinical aggregates and correlates terabyte-scale collections of private and public cross-platform ‘omics’ data, experimental data from cell lines and other sources, and clinical data from individual patients and population studies. Controlled vocabularies and the platform’s semantic framework eliminate confounding gene, disease and compound annotations, facilitating applications of this content at all stages of research, from early stage experimentation to repositioning approved drugs.
Product: NextBio Clinical
Company: NextBio
For more information: http://www.nextbio.com  

Comprehend Clinical 1.1 from Comprehend Systems includes a range of new features that enable sponsors to meet increasing regulatory requirements and leverage industry standards to easily share data across all systems in the clinical trials process and help clinical researchers overcome the ongoing challenge of accessing clean, real-time data and reports. Now offering a fully validated solution, Comprehend Systems worked with BioPharm Systems to secure Title 21 CRF Part 11 compliance for Comprehend Clinical 1.1 and also put new standard operating procedures in place. In addition, the system’s new CDISC Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM) adapter allows sponsors to connect Comprehend Clinical 1.1 to any SDTM data source and easily configure new SDTM studies. Comprehend Clinical 1.1 also further improved its ability to connect researchers with key data with dashboard embedding and expanded chart selection—including Pareto charts, candlestick plots, regression lines, pie charts and dashboard meters.
Product: Comprehend Clinical 1.1
Company: Comprehend Systems
For more information: www.comprehend.com  

Perceptive Informatics has introduced the new Site Inventory Management Module of its ClinPhone Randomization and Trial Supply Management (RTSM) solution. The RTSM technologies from Perceptive Informatics offer validated randomization methods, automated inventory control, dispensing and titration management, emergency code break capabilities, and supply reporting. This new web-based module is designed to improve the efficiency of clinical trial management by tracking the movement of supplies at clinical sites in real-time and streamlining workflow for site personnel. The Site Inventory Management Module provides clinical site personnel with real-time study drug tracking information and efficient tools to take actions based on this information. Advanced features include visibility of drug expiration information, data filtering, simple selection and confirmation of actions, and multi-lingual capability.
Product: Site Inventory Management Module of ClinPhone RTSM solution
Company: Perceptive Informatics
For more information: http://www.perceptive.com/clinphone-rtsm/  

Waters Corporation has published its 2012-2013 Waters Quality Parts, Chromatography Columns and Supplies Catalog. This 400-page, color catalog features thousands of Waters Quality Parts, branded HPLC and UPLC columns, vials, filters, sample preparation products, and supplies for getting the highest level of performance from LC, LC/MS, UPLC, UPC^2™, GPC, and SFC separations. The Waters catalog is an essential tool in every scientist’s and procurement agent’s reference library.
Product: Waters Catalog
Company: Waters Corporation
For more information: www.waters.com/catalog  

AccelerEyes has released Jacket v2.1, adding GPU computing capabilities for use with MATLAB. Jacket v2.1 delivers even more speed through a host of new improvements, maximizing GPU device performance and utilization. Notable new features include an Optimization Library and additional functions to our Graphics Library. With Jacket v2.1, we have also extended support for sparse matrix subscripting and made improvements to host-to-device and device-to-host data transfer speeds for complex data. In addition, we have included various GFOR enhancements. Jacket v2.1 now includes NVIDIA CUDA 4.1 enhancements to provide improved functionality and performance (requires latest drivers).
Product: Jacket v2.1
Company: AccelerEyes
For more information: www.accelereyes.com  

Springer Science+Business Media has launched a new corporate platform, Springer for R&D, which provides access to over 5.6 million research documents, all optimized for specific corporate markets. Springer for R&D aims to become the primary resource destination for all new corporate and medical customers. All articles in Springer for R&D are taken from Springer’s online platform SpringerLink, which will remain in its existing form serving the academic community. Featuring new content navigation by industry sectors, Springer for R&D provides instant access to pertinent materials to groups of customers in industry sectors including Biotechnology, Health and Hospitals, IT and Software, and Pharma. The platform utilizes agile software development methodologies, enabling Springer to quickly develop and deploy new features. This same methodology allows Springer to optimally offer content to both the niche research organization and the large multinational company alike.
Product: Springer for R&D
Company: Springer Science+Business Media
For more information: rd.springer.com  

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation’s custom manufacturing and services business unit, SAFC, has launched the CHOZN Platform system, a CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cell expression system that allows for faster, simpler selection and scale-up of high-producing clones for the production of recombinant protein drugs. The new platform consists of the cGMP-produced and tested CHOZN ZFN Modified GS-/- CHO cell line, an optimized set of cGMP-produced, chemically defined media and specially designed feeds to maximize production of r-proteins. The CHOZN Platform system has been designed and tested to perform from initial cell line engineering process and stable cell line selection, through large-scale growth and production, providing an off-the-shelf production solution for biopharmaceutical developers who do not currently have a cell line platform.
Product: CHOZN Platform system
Company Sigma-Aldrich’s SAFC business unit
For more information: www.safcglobal.com/choznplatform