Category: News

Overview Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is getting more competitive and exciting. Singular Genomics Systems, based in La Jolla, has introduced the G4 platform, taking on the industry’s leader, Illumina. They’re targeting customers who want something different from Illumina’s well-known systems. The G4 platform is quite powerful, offering output from 15 to 400 gigabases (Gb). At its…

Quick Look Spatial transcriptomics is a game-changer in genomics. Some cool technologies like MERFISH and FISSEQ have laid the groundwork. In 2019, Fei Chen, Sam Rodriques, and Evan Macosko at the Broad Institute came up with Slide-seq. This tech doesn’t require much more than a sequencer and offers sharp resolution with its tiny barcoded beads.…

Overview My chat with Ron Alfa, MD, PhD, veered into the essence of diseases. Some cancers are defined by their genes, making it easier to create precise treatments and sort patients. But in immuno-oncology, those clear lines haven’t been drawn yet. Alfa pointed out a significant gap: we can’t clearly define patient groups by their…

Overview Ancient Rome, once the bustling core of an expansive empire, held sway over an area with roughly 70 million inhabitants. This grand city didn’t materialize overnight. The demographic tapestry of Rome, weaved over millennia, reveals a population history as fascinating as any story of conquest or political intrigue. Imagine an ancient crossroads, not just…

Overview There’s this fresh twist in genome editing that’s pretty exciting. Fanzor, this new RNA-guided system, is making waves. Found in eukaryotes, it’s the brainchild of Feng Zhang’s lab. You might have heard of CRISPR, right? Fanzor is kind of like its cool cousin but for eukaryotic cells. The neat part is how it uses…

Overview Exercise has a fascinating effect on the brain, especially when it comes to dopamine. Running ramps up levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps neurons, and dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter crucial for movement, mood, and learning. This relationship holds the key to better understanding how physical activity influences our brain health.…

Overview So, Nvidia is teaming up with Genentech to dive deep into AI drug discovery. This collaboration aims to speed up the way we find and develop new medicines. Genentech, with its expertise in molecular datasets and biology, combines forces with Nvidia’s accelerated computing technology. It’s a big step toward transforming healthcare. John Marioni from…

Overview Clovibactin is a new antibiotic that holds promise against harmful and multi-drug resistant bacteria. Isolated from bacteria that couldn’t be cultivated before, Clovibactin shows a unique potential. It effectively kills drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens without any noticeable resistance development. This antibiotic was discovered in bacteria from a sandy soil in North Carolina. The bacteria, E.…

Overview For millions battling visual impairment due to corneal diseases, the news spearheaded by researchers is a game-changer. 12.7 million people worldwide grapple with blindness owing to corneal stromal ailments, and a cornea transplant is usually their sole lifeline. Yet, a mere one in seventy sees this lifeline. A revolutionary approach has bubbled to the…

Overview Wow, the cost of making new drugs is a jaw-dropper! Recently, I dug into some studies to see just how much it takes to bring a new therapy to the market. It turns out, on average, it’s over $2 billion per drug. That’s mind-blowing! Deloitte, a big name in business services, has been keeping…