Jun 8, 2016 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will hold hearings to determine whether University of California Berkeley, or Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, should receive patents for new genomic engineering technique
In the race to master gene-editing in ways that will advance genetic medicine and patient care, one of the hottest technologies is CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. But now a patent fight has the potential to complicate how pathologists and other scientists use this exciting technology.
This dispute over the CRISPR patent—a tool that has been hailed as one of the biggest biotech breakthroughs of the decade—will likely be settled in the coming months by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The USPTO will be reviewing key patents awarded for what is called CRISPR/Cas9. The technology is already generating novel therapies for diseases, which should create new opportunities for pathologists and medical laboratories. (more…)
Nov 4, 2015 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations
MinION could help achieve NIH’s goal of $1,000 human genome sequencing and in remote clinics and outbreak zones shift testing away from medical laboratories
Point-of-care DNA sequencing technology is edging ever closer to widespread commercial use as the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencer draws praise and registers successes in pre-release testing.
A pocketsize gene-sequencing machine such as the MinION could transform the marketplace by shifting DNA testing to remote clinics and outbreak zones while eliminating the need to return samples to clinical laboratories for analysis. Such devices also are expected to increase the need for trained genetic pathologists and medical technologists. (more…)
Sep 23, 2015 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations
Antibody validation standards would help ensure reproducibility of research studies and improve the consistency medical laboratory test results
As science and industry gets better at measuring things and assessing quality, the acceptable standard often comes into question. This seems to be happening with antibodies, the most common reagents used in diagnostics, clinical laboratory diagnostic tests, and medical research. In many cases, the end result is that companies and their suppliers must use new technologies and quality methods to revise the “old way” and create products that have measurable better quality.
The techniques currently used to validate antibodies is the topic of a recently-published scientific paper. The authors of a paper published in the March, 2010, issue of Biotechniques pointed out, antibody validation and standardization ensure study reproducibility, which is critical to accuracy. And yet, no standard guidelines define how these important biological tools should be validated prior to use.
Thus, researchers participating in a recent webinar, presented by The Scientist expressed concern that—without improved antibody validation and standardization—the accuracy of published research is in question and diagnostic test results, such as those produced by medical laboratories, will continue to be inconsistent. (more…)
Jun 24, 2015 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
This and similar research initiatives expected to increase the number of genetic markers that would be useful for creating clinical pathology laboratory tests and therapeutic drugs
Whole human genome sequencing continues to become faster, easier, cheaper, and more accurate to do. Because of these advances, the sheer number of human genomes being sequenced is skyrocketing. This huge increase in data is helping researchers unlock many new insights that, in turn, are fueling efforts to develop useful new medical laboratory tests and therapeutic drugs.
This is happening at the University of Washington (UW), where researchers using new genome sequencing technology are uncovering thousands of never-before-seen genetic variants. The application of “long read” gene sequencing technologies is allowing these researchers to identify genetic variants previously unknown, and that are made up of between 50 and 5,000 base pairs.
The discovery is important for two reasons. First, it could close existing gaps in the genome map. Second, it could help scientists identify new genomic variations that are closely associated with difficult-to-diagnose diseases. Of interest to pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals, such discoveries could point to expanded use of genetic testing for diagnosis and treatment of disease. (more…)
Apr 8, 2015 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Additional studies are needed before medical laboratory tests for ‘lean’ microbes can be developed for use by physicians treating overweight and obese patients
Researchers at Cornell University have identified a family of microbes that may provide a genetic explanation for why some people are able to stay thin. If their findings are validated, a clinical laboratory test for these bacteria, and a macrobotic regiment to help people lose weight or stay lean, could be down the road.
Emerging Field Involving the Human Microbiome
The Cornell study was published in November 2014 in the journal Cell. It spotlights one bacterial taxon, the family Christensenellaceae, which was only named in 2012. That makes it a relatively new subject for researchers in the booming human microbiome sector.
Ruth Ley, Ph.D., is a Cornell University Associate Professor of Microbiology, and the research paper’s senior author. She believes the new Cornell study makes clear the connection between the human genotype and health-associated gut bacteria. (more…)
