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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Pathologists at South Carolina Hospital Are Preparing to Use Next Generation Gene Sequencing for Cancer Patients

Jul 27, 2012 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology

Strategic collaboration promises leap forward in personalized medicine that could be game-changing for medical laboratories

One early effort to apply next generation gene sequencing to cancer diagnostics and therapeutics is a collaboration that involves Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS) in Greenville, South Carolina, and Lab21, Inc., a British company. GHS wants to use next gene sequencing as an integral part of the evaluation of every cancer patient cared for in the GHS system.

The partnership between GHS and Lab21 provides evidence for pathologists and clinical laboratories that first mover hospitals and health systems are now taking steps to incorporate next generation gene sequencing (NGS) into their cancer care protocols. Forward-looking pathology groups are already taking steps to expand their capabilities to perform and interpret genetic tests. (more…)

New Semiconductor Technology Accelerates Whole Genome Sequencing at Reduced Cost

Sep 26, 2011 | Uncategorized

Clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories may soon find next-generation DNA sequencing reliable and affordable

Swift advances in whole human genome sequencing may bring clinical applications to pathology on a much faster timeline than expected.

One impressive example of the fast pace of technology improvements is the Ion Torrent, which is a semiconductor-based DNA sequencer now capable of sequencing 100 million base pairs. That is ten times the sequencer’s capacity when it was launched just last December!

It was August of last year when Life Technologies (NASDAQ: LIFE) in Carlsbad, California, paid $375 million to acquire Ion Torrent Systems, a start-up with operations in Guilford, Connecticut, and South San Francisco. If Ion Torrent achieves certain technical milestones through 2012, it will earn another $350 million.

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