Next generation sequencing NGS News and Research

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Researchers develop random priming amplification method for whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1

Researchers from the UK recently compared the performance of 4 different random priming amplification methods to recover SARS-CoV-2 RNA. In method 1 (H-P), the reverse transcriptase (RT) step included random hexamers, whereas, in methods 2-4, RT incorporated an octamer primer with a known tag. This study is published on the bioRxiv preprint server.

5 Jul 2021

AMSBIO offers an extensive collection of normal and disease state FFPE tissue blocks

AMSBIO has established an unmatched commercial biorepository and procurement network that includes a large selection of fully characterized and annotated Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded tissue blocks to help streamline your research.

From AMS Biotechnology 1 Jul 2021

UIC researchers offer free rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19 in vulnerable Chicago communities

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago are offering free rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19 in vulnerable Chicago communities and performing genomic sequencing on the samples to identify variants.

28 Jun 2021

New blood test can accurately detect 50 types of cancer before symptoms emerge

Final results from a study of a blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer have shown that it is accurate enough to be rolled out as a multi-cancer screening test among people at higher risk of the disease, including patients aged 50 years or older, without symptoms.

25 Jun 2021

Blood test shows promise for predicting treatment response in patients with advanced HPV-positive throat cancer

A sensitive blood test being developed by a team of researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center shows promise for predicting whether patients with metastatic HPV-positive throat cancer will respond to treatment months earlier than standard imaging scans.

23 Jun 2021

Could wastewater epidemiology help track the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants?

In a new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, researchers from Germany, Italy and Netherlands demonstrated the utility of integrating genomic and wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) to provide unprecedented insight into the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 and the profile of the mutations associated with the VOCs (i.e., B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617.2) in the wastewater samples.

17 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection detected in a poodle living with a COVID-19 positive family

Researchers in Italy identified a case of reverse zoonosis wherein animals contract the virus from humans. The team detected SARS-CoV-2 in a healthy poodle living with four family members who had COVID-19.

11 Jun 2021

Researchers uncover new gene mutation responsible for cerebral cavernous malformation

Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Beijing Tiantan Hospital have recently uncovered a new gene mutation responsible for the non-familial patients of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) - a brain vascular disorder which inflicted about 10~30 million people in the world.

8 Jun 2021

Gene offers some level of protection from severe Covid

The first evidence of a genetic link explaining why some people who catch Covid-19 don't become sick has been discovered.

5 Jun 2021

Study: Lung squamous patients harboring druggable mutations have lower median overall survival

Oncotarget published "Molecular characterization of lung squamous cell carcinoma tumors reveals therapeutically relevant alterations" which reported that unlike lung adenocarcinoma patients, there is no FDA-approved targeted-therapy likely to benefit lung squamous cell carcinoma patients.

3 Jun 2021

Epigenetic regulation affects the 3D structure of genome

All the cells of an organism share the same DNA sequence, but their functions, shapes or even lifespans vary greatly. This happens because each cell "reads" different chapters of the genome, thus producing alternative sets of proteins and embarking on different paths.

3 Jun 2021

Study uncovers mechanisms by which microRNAs drive atherogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have uncovered potential mechanisms by which microRNAs (miRNA) drive atherogenesis in a cell-type-specific manner.

2 Jun 2021

New initiative to reduce treatment delays for patients with rare diseases

The Treatabolome project is a research initiative to develop a freely available, interoperable online platform dedicated to disseminating rare disease and gene-specific treatment information to healthcare professionals regardless of their level of specialized expertise.

1 Jun 2021

New genetic resource may lead to prevention and treatment strategies for malaria

A new extensive genetic resource of rat-infecting malaria parasites may help advance the development of malaria prevention and treatment strategies.

1 Jun 2021

A novel multiplexed diagnostic approach for COVID-19

Researchers developed a platform for detecting the virus directly from a patient's sample as well as the immune response through antibodies such as IgG and IgM.

31 May 2021

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Researchers at the Vienna BioCenter designed a testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 that can process tens of thousands of samples in less than 48 hours. The method, called SARSeq, is published in the journal Nature Communications and could be adapted to many more pathogens.

25 May 2021

Intranasal COVID-19 therapeutic shows promise in preclinical trials

Researchers from the US and Denmark recently described a novel therapeutic option that targets the SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) using locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA ASOs). They identified an LNA ASO that binds to the 5’ leader sequence of SARS-CoV-2 ORF1a/b. This disrupts a highly conserved stem-loop structure with nanomolar efficacy and inhibits viral replication in host cells.

20 May 2021

A possible human-to-canine transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Now, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified a case of human to animal transmission when SARS-CoV-2 was detected in a healthy poodle dog living with four family members who had COVID-19.

18 May 2021

Nanopore analysis identifies pseudouridine modifications in SARS-CoV-2

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Fleming, Mathewson & Burrows (May 10th, 2021), nanopore devices are developed that allow identification of the passage of pseudouridine through a protein sensor. This further allowed the group to identify five conserved pseudouridine sites on the 3’ end of SARS-CoV-2 sub-genomic RNAs, which could potentially be beneficial to the virus in immune evasion.

17 May 2021

Korea's first large-scale project reaches milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes

On April 26, UNIST and Ulsan City officially announced that their ambitious 10,000 Genome Project has finally reached the milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes.

10 May 2021