News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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New Study of Fruit Fly Genome Reveals Complexity of RNA and Provides a Model for Studying Mechanisms for Hereditary Diseases in Humans

This investigation of the fruit fly’s transcriptome—the complete collection of the genome’s RNA—unearthed thousands of new genes, transcripts, and proteins

Scientists have teased another level of information out of the genome. This time, the new insights were developed from studies of the fruit fly’s transcriptome. This knowledge will give pathologists another channel of information that may be useful in developing assays to support more precise diagnosis and therapeutic decisions.

The findings were published in a recent issue of Nature. The study focused on the transcriptome—a complete collection of the genome’s RNA—of the common fruit fly−Drosophila melangogaster. (more…)

Whole Gene Sequencing for Diagnosis Is Goal of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and GenomeQuest in a New Collaboration

Goals are to use whole gene sequencing to develop better clinical laboratory assays in support of personalized medicine

Creating new clinical laboratory tests to support personalized medicine is one goal of a unique collaboration recently announced that involves the pathology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and GenomeQuest, Inc. (NASDAQ:GQ). The two collaborators are expanding a relationship launched several years ago that involved doing whole genome sequencing of tumors.

More specifically, the expanded relationship will be a two-year collaboration to develop whole-genome analysis (WGA) applications for personalized medicine. The move signals pathologists and clinical laboratory managers that first movers are taking steps to address the growing need for clinical genomics informatics infrastructure.

“The plummeting cost of sequencing and the increasing volume of predictive, public studies makes the clinical application of genomics not just a practicality but a healthcare imperative,” declared GenomeQuest CEO Richard Resnick. “We believe that our collaboration with a combined innovation and delivery leader like BIDMC is a major step forward in expanding genomics and its rewards from the bench to the bedside.” (more…)

Introducing “Salivaomics” as the Basis for Cheap, Accurate Diagnostic Tests—Administered by Your Dentist!

Researchers at UCLA have published the foundation science to use saliva as the specimen for sophisticated diagnostic testing

Someday soon, when your dentist asks you to say “Ah”, he will then collect a saliva specimen and use a chairside point-of-care test (POCT) to screen you for any number of conditions and diseases. This is the goal of a research team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who recently developed what they call the Salivaomics Knowledge Base (SKB).  It is a web-based data management system dedicated to help clinicians use saliva as a diagnostic tool.

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