DNA

PacBio, developer of sequencing solutions, has announced its HiFi sequencing technology will be used in a pilot project for the Children’s Rare Disease Cohorts Initiative (CRDC) at Boston Children’s Hospital.   Boston Children’s Hospital researchers will use HiFi whole-genome sequencing (HiFi WGS) for the purpose of investigating genetic and epigenetic variants associated with rare paediatric diseases. […]

Listen to this article on the DDW Podcast: ‘Can synthetic biology save us?’ and ‘synthetic biology can benefit us all’, are just some of the headlines this emerging scientific field has recently elicited. Lu Rahman speaks to Dr Emily Leproust, Founder and CEO of Twist Biopharma, about the potential that synthetic biology holds within the drug discovery sector.  “Most […]

Cancers can evolve to become more aggressive without relying only on DNA mutations, two major studies have revealed.  The research characterises an extra level of control of cancer gene activity within tumours, which the researchers describe as cancer’s ‘dark matter’.  The two studies showed how a level of gene control called ‘epigenetics’ plays a central […]

Yapan Bio has expanded its capabilities with a new process development facility at Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India, which has enhanced its ability to support end-to-end development and manufacturing of RNA, DNA and gene therapy products starting from plasmids.   The expansion includes three upstream suites (including Bio-Safety Level-2 containment), a downstream process development lab, an analytical […]

A team of researchers at Northwestern University in the US has devised a new platform for gene editing that could inform the future application of CRISPR-based therapeutics. Using chemical design and synthesis, the team brought together the Nobel-prize winning technology with therapeutic technology born in their own lab to overcome a critical limitation of CRISPR.  […]

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has released a call for registrations for its SPRI Grants for Genomic Research, which the company describes as part of its commitment to the next generation of researchers and scientists.  Reinforcing its dedication to providing streamlined genomic workflow solutions, the company will award up to eight grants in 2022. The grants […]

This eBook, sponsored by Evonetix, contains exclusive insight from industry experts on how synthetic biology is innovating and advancing drug discovery.   Key topics include:   Four key approaches to synthetic biology  The global advances in synthetic biology drug discovery Why synthetic biology is the next big step for biopharma  What an organoid innovation centre means for 3D biology […]

Evonetix is reimaging biology by developing a different approach to gene synthesis. Three key members of the team – Dr Raquel Sanches-Kuiper, Vice President of Technology, Dr Matthew Hayes, Chief Technology Officer and John Edgell, Head of Cloud Engineering – explain how the company is doing this and what it means for the advancement of […]

News round-up by DDW’s Reece Armstrong for 18 – 22 July Covid-19 vaccines remain effective six months after second dose  Two doses of Covid-19 vaccines were sufficient in providing protection against severe cases of the infectious disease, according to new research.   New combination therapy shows promise against lung cancers   Scientists have discovered a new combination […]

Non-coding or ‘junk’ DNA could contribute to the development of certain cancers due to how it disrupts the replication of the genome, scientists have discovered.   A team from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London reconstituted the entire process of DNA replication in a test tube in order to understand it more completely.  The team […]

Listen to this article on the DDW Podcast: By Dr. Oyvind Dahle and Michael R.Pontrelli, Foley & Lardner LLP. The first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome was published 1 April 2022 in a special issue of the journal Science1. While The Human Genome Project mapped about 92% of the human genome two decades ago, […]

Research from the University of Birmingham in the UK has indicated that a cancer therapy could help damaged nerves repair themselves following spinal injury.   The research shows that AstraZeneca’s candidate drug AZD1390 can block the response to DNA damage in nerve cells and promote regeneration of damaged nerves, restoring sensory and motor function after spinal […]

Synthetic biology company Evonetix has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to support the company’s next phase of product development.   The company has appointed Colin McCracken as CEO with immediate effect. McCracken has over 20 years of experience and will support Evonetix in the development and commercialisation of its semiconductor-based DNA synthesis platform.  Prior […]

Synthetic biology company Evonetix has been granted a European patent covering its unique Binary Assembly method for gene synthesis.  The patent forms part of the company’s plan to simplify gene synthesis for users and enable a new generation of in-lab DNA synthesis platforms.  Evonetix’s novel semiconductor-based synthesis chip uses precise temperature control to manage the […]

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has released Alt-R HDR Donor Blocks, a solution for increasing homology-directed repair (HDR) rates in large fragment knock-in experiments.   How does Alt-R HDR work?  The Alt-R HDR Donor Blocks incorporate advanced chemical modifications to boost the HDR rates of large genomic changes and insertions, and significantly reduce the occurrence of non-homologous […]

Evonetix is reimagining biology. Dr Vijay Narayan, Head of Physics, Dr Stuart Crosby, Head of Synthetic Chemistry, and Daniel Bygrave, Principal Software Engineer, offer insight into the technology being developed by the company and its relevance for researchers.  “I have always been intrigued by interdisciplinary environments,’ says Dr Vijay Narayan, Head of Physics, Evonetix. “This is what initially drew me to […]