Oxford Nanopore and Wasatch BioLabs Announce Collaboration to Transform DNA Methylation Analysis with New dWMS Product

November 2024 — Oxford, UK & Salt Lake City, USA: In an innovative leap for epigenetic research, Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Wasatch BioLabs have announced a collaboration to develop and launch a pioneering direct whole methylome sequencing (dWMS) product. This technology aims to overcome the limitations of traditional methylation profiling techniques, such as bisulfite sequencing and methylation microarrays, by providing a more comprehensive, accurate, and accessible approach to DNA methylation analysis.

Transforming Epigenetic Research with Direct Whole Methylome Sequencing

DNA methylation, a key epigenetic marker, plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and cellular function. Conventional methods like bisulfite sequencing and microarrays have dominated the field for years. However, both approaches come with inherent drawbacks that restrict their utility in advanced research and clinical applications. Bisulfite sequencing, while accurate, involves chemically altering DNA, which can degrade sample quality and create sequencing biases. Similarly, methylation microarrays are limited by predefined probes, which means they can only detect a subset of the methylation landscape, thus limiting the depth of epigenomic insights.

The new dWMS product developed by Oxford Nanopore and Wasatch BioLabs seeks to address these limitations. Utilizing Oxford Nanopore’s real-time, high-throughput sequencing technology, this product enables the direct detection of methylation marks without the need for chemical treatment. The result is a richer, more complete picture of the methylome, even in degraded or challenging samples. By capturing the entire methylome in real time and avoiding the issues associated with DNA modification, this product holds the potential to unlock new discoveries in cancer research, developmental biology, neuroscience, and beyond.

A Partnership Built on Complementary Expertise

Oxford Nanopore Technologies, known for its groundbreaking nanopore-based sequencing platform, brings unmatched expertise in real-time, scalable sequencing solutions. Meanwhile, Wasatch BioLabs specializes in advanced assay development and epigenomic research, making the two companies a natural fit for a partnership focused on advancing DNA methylation analysis.

“Direct whole methylome sequencing represents a fundamental shift in our ability to study the epigenome,” said Dr. Claire Harvey, Chief Scientific Officer at Wasatch BioLabs. “With this collaboration, we are not only making methylation analysis more accessible but are also driving a new standard for accuracy and completeness in epigenomic research.”

Expanding Accessibility and Applications

The dWMS product is designed with a variety of users in mind, from academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies to diagnostic labs and clinical researchers. By eliminating the need for complex sample preparation and delivering actionable insights in real time, the technology could democratize access to high-quality methylation data across multiple research disciplines and healthcare settings.

For the first time, researchers studying complex diseases, such as cancer or neurological disorders, will have a tool that captures the dynamic nature of the methylome across the entire genome, providing a comprehensive view that has long been out of reach. With this product, researchers will be able to explore the impact of methylation changes on disease development, progression, and response to treatment, thereby opening new avenues for precision medicine and personalized therapies.

Oxford Nanopore

Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology. It is the only sequencing technology that offers real-time analysis (for rapid insights), in fully scalable formats from pocket to population scale, that can analyse native DNA or RNA and sequence any length of fragment to achieve short to ultra-long read lengths.

Wasatch BioLabs

Wasatch BioLabs (WBL) is an independent biotechnology company with a disruptive approach to research and diagnostics. We are an R&D and Oxford Nanopore Technologies-certified laboratory that offers DNA and RNA sequencing services to researchers and clinical service providers. WBL's solutions span both standard Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing services as well as proprietary methylation sequencing services built off of WBL's NESSI-Seq platform, that expand the capabilities of the nanopore platform.

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