Jul 13, 2011 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Nestlé says its Prometheus Laboratory acquisition will help it develop products for patients with metabolic conditions and to promote brain health
When it comes to the brave new world of genetics in pathology and clinical laboratory testing, such terms as pharmacogenomics, companion diagnostics, and personalized medicine have been coined to describe the intersection of genetic testing and molecular diagnostics with emerging medical practice. Now the world’s largest food company is putting forth a vision of how genetic testing can inform decisions about the patient’s nutrition.
It was last May when the health-science unit of Nestlé SA, (VTX:NESN) the giant foods company in Vevey, Switzerland, announced its purchase of Prometheus Laboratories Inc., of San Diego, California. The price was $567 million.
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Mar 19, 2010 | Digital Pathology, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
Human Microbiome Project is expected to trigger many new molecular diagnostic assays
Meet the human microbiome, considered by some medical researchers to be the newest biomedical frontier. A major effort to map the human microbiome is expected to identify a significant number of new biomarkers that will be useful in both clinical pathology diagnostic tests and therapeutic drug development.
Known as the Human Microbiome Project, the five-year program is funded with $115 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers are well on their way to produce a comprehensive inventory of microbes—bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungi—that live in or on the human body, along with information about their role in disease development or prevention. The overall goal of this international effort is to identify which microbes are harmful and figure out ways to prevent or treat diseases they cause.
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