Illumina, Quartzy, PerkinElmer, And More: News From April 2018
April 30, 2018 | April featured exciting new, products, and partnerships from around the bio-IT community from innovating companies, organizations, and universities, including Illumina, Quartzy, PerkinElmer, and more.
Illumina Accelerator welcomes five new startups to its seventh funding cycle. During the six-month funding cycle, Illumina Accelerator offers the selected companies capital and access to capital, genomics and sequencing expertise, business coaching, as well as lab and office space at Illumina’s Bay Area campus. The seventh funding cycle includes: DermBiont is advancing a pipeline of skin microbial therapeutics, with its first candidate in development for fungal infections of the skin; MedAnswers is using big data and genetics to match those struggling to conceive to a curated network of fertility experts and solutions to help users achieve healthier fertility outcomes, faster; Mediphage Bioceuticals is developing phage-based therapeutic platforms to discover safe and accessible cures for chronic diseases; TruGenomix Health is focused on advancing the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, offering risk stratification and targeted, individualized treatment options; Unite Genomics performs, enables and leverages machine learning and large-scale genomic analyses for the biopharmaceutical and clinical research industries. “At Illumina Accelerator, we provide entrepreneurs focused on breakthrough genomic sequencing applications key resources for success,” Mostafa Ronaghi, Illumina’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Illumina Accelerator, said in a press release. “The selected companies receive advice and expertise to help guide strategies in business and financing, team building and more. Together, with our accomplished group of graduates, our newest investments are working to advance breakthrough applications in genomics, including therapeutics, diagnostics and direct-to-consumer applications.” For the seventh cycle, Illumina Accelerator is partnering with Helix. Helix is providing MedAnswers with additional mentorship and support to develop a consumer application for Helix’s online marketplace. Press Release
Quartzy announced a new authorized distributor agreement with OriGene, Advansta and Jackson ImmunoResearch. Adding these life science leaders to Quartzy's supply chain and product portfolio marks another major step in the company’s drive to simplify lab management and inventory replenishment nationwide. “It’s fantastic to see so many suppliers wanting to join us in creating a better way for labs to acquire the materials they need,” said Jayant Kulkarni, Quartzy’s Founder and CEO, in a press release. “We’re especially excited to announce our distributor agreements with OriGene, Advansta and Jackson ImmunoResearch because of their longstanding reputation in the industry and sought-after products. With them, we will be able to deliver even greater choice to our community of over 13,000 labs looking to consolidate how they get their supplies.” These agreements promise to bring over 800,000 additional products to the Quartzy Shop, Quartzy’s digital catalog of lab supplies. Along with the portfolios of more than 1,000 suppliers including Rainin, MilliporeSigma, and New England Biolabs, the Quartzy Shop now boasts over 2 million SKUs and creates a diverse and comprehensive catalog of lab supplies in the nation. Press Release
PerkinElmer announced that Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) has selected the Company to provide genetic testing for its Decode Duchenne program. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) is the most common genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in every 5,000 live male births (about 20,000 new cases each year worldwide). Because the Duchenne gene is found on the X-chromosome, it primarily affects males; however, there are symptomatic females. Duchenne affects all races. Decode Duchenne, administered by DuchenneConnect (a program of PPMD), provides no cost genetic testing and counseling to people with Duchenne who otherwise could not afford genetic testing. PerkinElmer Genomics is providing the genetic testing for Decode Duchenne. These capabilities include comprehensive analysis by full gene sequencing of the entire 2.2MB region of the Duchenne gene. This new comprehensive assay would not only pick up sequence variants but also provide base pair resolution of deletions and duplications mutations within the Duchenne gene. Individuals with a negative gene targeted Duchenne assay can access a 131 gene panel targeting neuromuscular disorders, with an opportunity to receive full whole exome testing. PerkinElmer Genomics will also offer carrier testing, along with support for families. Press Release
US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced a Request for Proposals (RFP), potentially worth up to $1.8 billion, for the development of at least two new exascale supercomputers to be deployed at US Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories in the 2021-2023 timeframe. The new supercomputers funded through this RFP will be follow-on systems to the first US exascale system authorized by Secretary Perry this past June, named Aurora, which is currently under development at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and scheduled to come online in 2021. The RFP announced today also envisions the possibility of upgrades or even a follow-on system to Aurora in 2022-2023, depending on an assessment of needs and opportunities at that time. This RFP calls for a system to be deployed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and for another to be sited at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. “These new systems represent the next generation in supercomputing and will be critical tools both for our nation’s scientists and for U.S. industry,” Secretary Perry said. “They will help ensure America’s continued leadership in the vital area of high performance computing, which is an essential element of our national security, prosperity, and competitiveness as a nation.” Press Release
Simmons College’s School of Library & Information Science, along with New America's Open Technology Institute and Internet2, have received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) FY2018 National Leadership Grants for Libraries award. Their 24-month research project, “Measuring Library Broadband Networks for the National Digital Platform (LG-71-18-0110-18),” will examine how advanced broadband measurement capabilities can support the infrastructure and services needed to respond to the digital demands of public library users across the US Assistant professor Colin Rhinesmith, principal investigator for the project, said in a press release: "Public libraries across the US today need access to accurate, reliable data in order to respond to their communities’ growing demand for broadband-enabled applications and services. Our project addresses this need by working with public librarians and library network administrators to develop the broadband measurement tools and training they need to best support their communities’ networked information needs." The project will gather quantitative and qualitative data from public libraries across the country about broadband speeds, quality of service, infrastructure, network usage and capacity and connectivity needs, among other factors. Findings from the research will be used to create the project’s three deliverables: an open-source and replicable broadband measurement platform; a broadband measurement platform training manual for public librarians; and a final report on the project. Press Release
Molecular Biology Systems (MBS) announced it will launch its NEXTGENPCR thermal cycler in the US and Canada through Canon BioMedical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon USA focused on empowering the biomedical research and healthcare communities by developing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative technologies and solutions. According to the latest surveys, the global life sciences instrumentation market continues to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% and is predicted to be worth $85.1 billion by 2022. The US and Canada account for the largest share, fueled by a rapid adoption rate of novel technologies, the large number of life science research studies conducted in the region, and increased funding for life science research activities. Press Release
The Princeton University Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) and ODH have entered into a joint research project to develop new machine learning techniques that will enable health plans to assess and prioritize the mental and social health factors underlying their members’ conditions, and propose appropriate interventions. Machine learning is an artificial intelligence technology that enables computer systems to learn without being explicitly programmed. In the health care setting, machine learning provides systems with the ability to scan huge volumes of data and use pattern recognition to make predictions about future outcomes. Data scientists, researchers and mathematicians from ODH and ORFE will collaborate to develop a methodology that identifies hidden patterns from complex medical information using data-driven techniques. For example, today, a patient whose symptoms include jaundice, swollen abdomen and nausea may receive a primary diagnosis of liver failure. The technique to be developed by the researchers will identify additional, secondary factors which may be overlooked by the patient’s physicians and health plan, such as the patient’s alcohol addiction and related social challenges, which are likely to trigger a visit to a hospital, emergency room or other high-cost setting. Additionally, the technique will prioritize these secondary factors, enabling care coordinators to identify which ones are likely to respond most immediately to intervention. The technique will also recommend to care coordinators the most effective interventions - such as referring patients to substance abuse treatment programs, educating them about the importance of medication adherence, or arranging transportation to a provider’s office – with the goal of improving outcomes. Press Release
Cofactor Genomics announced that they have entered into an agreement with the National Cancer Institute, along with agreements with research groups at three other academic and pharma institutions, to demonstrate the clinical utility of their immune-profiling assay, Cofactor Paragon. These research collaborations are centered on applying Cofactor’s RNA-based immune profiling technology to better understand the immune profiles of patients suffering from diseases such as sarcoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer, as initial case studies. The field of immune-oncology has grown at an unprecedented rate - with nearly 300 companies invested in over 2,000 drugs in the development pipeline. The tools currently available to profile the tumor microenvironment have significant disadvantages, including expense, costly equipment, substantial amounts of biopsied material required, as well as difficult to quantify and interpret data. Cofactor’s approach may improve upon these existing technologies by delivering RNA-based data in an easy-to-interpret report. “New immunotherapies and combination therapies are moving into clinical studies very rapidly. There is a need for advanced assays which enable thorough molecular tumor profiling to better predict and interpret patient response,” stated James Gulley, Head of the Immunotherapy Section of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch at the NCI Center for Cancer Research, in a press release. Under a new Material Transfer Agreement, the NCI will provide to Cofactor, clinical specimens for analysis from several of its clinical trials, in order to jointly validate the Cofactor Paragon assay platform. While the majority of samples for these initial studies will be processed in Cofactor’s St. Louis-based laboratories (which includes a CAP-accredited RNA-sequencing facility), data and feedback from these studies will enable the company to transition the assay to an off-the-shelf sequencing kit, with complementary cloud-based informatics. Press Release
Strata Oncology announced that Aurora Health Care and University of Texas Health Sciences at Houston(UTHealth) have joined the Strata Precision Oncology Network. Formed in 2016 by Strata Oncology, the Network is accelerating precision oncology by providing advanced cancer patients routine access to tumor profiling and matching to a portfolio of biomarker-driven pharma-sponsored clinical trials, and has since expanded to 10 healthcare systems representing more than 85,000 new cancer patients annually. "We are excited to join a collaborative group of leading cancer centers across the country working to ensure broad, timely patient access to precision medicine," said Robert J. Amato, Acting Director of the Division of Oncology at UTHealth McGovern Medical School and the Chief of the Division of Oncology at Memorial Hermann Cancer Center-TMC, in a press release. Members leverage the StrataNGS test, an 87-gene assay that sequences both DNA and RNA, as the foundation of comprehensive, integrated solution to deliver precision oncology system-wide. StrataNGS is available to all advanced solid tumor and lymphoma patients at no cost through the Strata Trial, a nationwide observational study providing tumor profiling and trial matching for 100,000 patients with advanced cancer. Press Release
Equus Compute Solutions announces its Vice President of Customer Solutions Steve Grady will deliver a keynote address at IDeACOM 2018, taking place April 8-10 in Washington, D.C. The IDeACOM conference brings together independently owned Information Technology companies for education, marketing, and strategic purchasing agreements for Cloud and on-premises Information Technology solutions. At the conference, members and guests discuss how the communications industry is growing and evolving, and share new ideas to implement in their businesses. Focusing on the QUEST Selling process, Grady’s keynote address will educate executive leaders on how to grow their business by implementing this unique structured sales process. Press Release