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Addition of ECC probe to SOLiD System's chemistry achieves greater than 99.99% single-read accuracy

Life Technologies Corporation a provider of innovative life science solutions, today announced that it has established a new standard in accuracy for next generation sequencing. By adding an Exact Call Chemistry (ECC) proprietary probe to its market leading ligation chemistry, the company has demonstrated greater than 99.99% average single-read accuracy.

27 Oct 2010

Golden Helix accelerates copy number variation detection methodology

Golden Helix, Inc., today announced the incorporation of technologies that will greatly accelerate genetic research. By enabling the company's SNP & Variation Suite software to run on off-the-shelf video graphics cards, or GPUs, operations that took hours or days can now be completed in a fraction of the time - and without the need for expensive compute clusters or resorting to cloud-based computing. This novel ability will dramatically accelerate many forms of computationally expensive genetic analyses, including that of next generation sequencing data.

27 Oct 2010

Study finds association between KRAS p.G13D mutations and cetuximab treatment in colorectal cancer

Even though the cancer-treatment agent cetuximab is not considered effective treatment for KRAS (a gene)-mutated metastatic colorectal tumors, new research indicates that patients with colorectal cancer not responding to chemotherapy and a certain variation of this gene who were treated with cetuximab had longer overall and progression-free survival than patients with other KRAS-mutations, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

CYP2C19 gene variant can increase risk of cardiovascular events in patients treated with clopidogrel

An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that use of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel for patients who have common genetic variants of a certain gene and are undergoing a procedure such as coronary stent placement have an associated increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, particularly development of blood clots in stents, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

Illumina announces single flow cell version of HiSeq 2000 sequencing system

Illumina, Inc. today announced HiSeq 1000, a single flow cell version of the company's HiSeq 2000 sequencing system. HiSeq 1000 is designed for researchers who want the ease of use, industry-leading cost per gigabase (Gb) and data rate of the HiSeq 2000 but do not currently require its throughput. As their research scales, users will be able to upgrade their system to the HiSeq 2000 and double their output.

From Illumina, Inc. 27 Oct 2010

Long non-protein coding RNAs respond to SARS virus infection, says study

For the first time, scientists have discovered that a poorly understood class of RNA produced in a mammal's cells during a respiratory virus attack may affect the outcome of the infection. Their findings are reported today in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Oct 2010

AutoGenomics granted FDA 510(k) clearance for INFINITI CYP2C19 Assay

AutoGenomics, a leader in providing automated, molecular testing solutions announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its INFINITI® CYP2C19 Assay. The test detects 3 genetic variants, *2, *3, *17, of the CYP450 2C19 gene and is to be used on the company's automated molecular testing platform, the INFINITI® Analyzer.

27 Oct 2010

Sirius receives U.S. patent for using SNP in Protein C gene

Sirius Genomics, a developer of companion diagnostics, announced today that U.S. Patent 7,820,376 entitled "Protein C Polymorphisms" has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent relates to a novel use of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) located in the Protein C gene.

27 Oct 2010

Aastrom Biosciences and ATEK Medical enter new strategic partnership

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a leading developer of expanded autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, and ATEK Medical, a leading medical device manufacturer, today announced the formation of a new strategic partnership in which ATEK Medical will supply key components and technology for use in Aastrom's proprietary cell manufacturing process.

26 Oct 2010

miRagen and CU enter agreement on miRNA therapeutics discovery and development

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, and the University of Colorado (CU) announced today that they have entered into sponsored research and licensing agreements to collaborate on miRNA therapeutics discovery and development.

26 Oct 2010

Cryo-Cell formalizes industry-exclusive agreement with MedTech For Solutions GPO

Cryo-Cell International, Inc., one of the world's largest and most established family cord blood banks and global stem cell innovators, today announced at the annual meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) that the Company has formalized an industry-exclusive agreement with MedTech For Solutions, Inc., a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) representing a member network of 115 practices specializing in reproductive medicine, which operates in conjunction with The Broadlane Group.

26 Oct 2010

New findings could deliver low-cost method to extract anticancer compound

A popular cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees, a study suggests. Researchers have isolated and grown stem cells from a yew tree whose bark is a natural source of the anticancer compound paclitaxel. The development could enable the compound to be produced on a commercial scale at low cost, with no harmful by-products.

26 Oct 2010

Einstein updates Strategic Research Plan

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has updated its Strategic Research Plan, the guidepost by which research priorities for the College of Medicine are set and measured. The update is designed to keep Einstein's research enterprise on course, to determine which investigative areas should be expanded or redirected, and to identify new areas that were underappreciated when the original research plan was formulated.

26 Oct 2010

Research indicates stroma tissue provides new drug target for treating pancreatic cancer

A project focusing on the scar tissue surrounding cancer tumours aims to provide new targets for drugs for treating pancreatic cancer, the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths in the UK.

26 Oct 2010

aTyr Pharma announces $23 million Series C equity financing

aTyr Pharma, the physiocrine therapeutics company, today announced a $23 million Series C equity financing led by Domain Associates. Domain joins existing venture investors Alta Partners, Cardinal Partners and Polaris Ventures, who also participated in the financing.

26 Oct 2010

Neurologix holds license for gene therapy to treat severe depression

Neurologix, Inc. today announced that a landmark paper, published on October 20th in Science Translational Medicine demonstrating the importance of the p11 gene in modulating depression in mice, utilized a gene therapy approach to reverse depression in mice for which the Company holds exclusive development rights. Based on the findings reported in the paper, gene therapy may have potential as a new treatment option for people who suffer from severe depression.

26 Oct 2010

Cord Blood America updates progress on stem cell collection business in China

Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells to families nationwide and internationally, today announced its Chairman, CEO and co-founder, Matthew Schissler, has updated progress on the Company's stem cell collection business in China in an interview with analyst Francis Gaskins.

26 Oct 2010

Researchers identify signaling pathway that promotes metastasis of pediatric bone cancer

Researchers have identified an important signaling pathway that, when blocked, significantly decreases the spread of pediatric bone cancer. Their research showed that the Notch pathway and Hes1 gene play a key role in promoting the metastasis of osteosarcoma, the most common form of bone cancer in children.

26 Oct 2010

Colour of light influences the way brain processes emotional stimuli

Researchers at the Cyclotron Research Centre (University of Liege), Geneva Center for Neuroscience and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences (University of Geneva), and Surrey Sleep Research Centre (University of Surrey) investigated the immediate effect of light, and of its color composition, on emotion brain processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results of their study show that the colour of light influences the way the brain processes emotional stimuli.

26 Oct 2010

First step in development of artificial human testicle

After more than 30 years of unsuccessful efforts by numerous investigators, researchers have now found a way to propagate primary human Sertoli cells in the laboratory. Derived from the testis, it has been difficult to maintain Sertoli cells, the "nurse" cells responsible for overseeing sperm production, outside of the human body.

26 Oct 2010