Bio Saga Blog - A Chronicle of Life Sciences & Informatics

In conjunction with the  COST Action Training School  SeqAhead is organizing a one-day workshop on "Next Generation Sequencing: What´s Next?". The workshop will focus on future developments in NGS and point out the success the technology has in modern biology research. The programme include 2 keynote lectures, selected oral presentations and presentations from industry and 
technology specialists such as SciLife, BGI, Illumina, Pacific Biosciences, Ion Torrent and Applied Biosystems/SOLiD. Do you wish to know more?

Initiating sequencing of a set of 60 closely related human genomes to identify novel genetic information relevant to cancer, metabolic and neurological disorders. Through this project, Avesthagen intends to establish a direct link between genes, genetics and the disorders themselves.  The study, led by Avesthagen, a life sciences company based in Bangalore, is being carried out in partnership with Genome Enterprise Limited, a subsidiary of The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) on the Norwich Research Park..   The TGAC team, specialists in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, will use the SOLiD™ 4 next generation sequencing platform from Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies, to generate draft sequence, and will collaborate with the Avesthagen’s own bioinformatics experts to analyze and interpret the sequence data It is known that many genes on the human chromosomes may be involved during the manifestation of the above disorders. However, the power of present technologies to...

VisiGen Biotechnologies , a University of Houston gene-sequencing outfit acquired by Invitrogen in October for $20 million, represents the university’s biggest return on a spinout to date, and could eventually become one of its biggest overall tech-transfer wins, the school said last week. As a result of VisiGen’s acquisition, UH, which held an undisclosed equity stake in the startup, will receive nearly $500,000 from the initial installment of the deal. Plans for follow-on installments were not disclosed. An indirect benefit comes from the fact that approximately half of VisiGen’s current employees are UH graduates, the school said. Several of the scientists that founded the company will now continue to research second-generation sequencing techniques in their UH laboratories. Whether this research eventually sparks additional collaborations between VisiGen and the university is now up to Life Technologies, the biotech tool giant that resulted from Invitrogen’s multi-billion-dolla...

Complete Genomics emerged from stealth mode today brandishing an audacious service model for wholesale next-generation sequencing, with its first human genome already assembled and the CEO’s pledge to reach the magical “$1000 genome” price point as early as spring 2009. Based in Mountain View, Calif., Complete Genomics has raised $46 million in three rounds of financing since its incorporation in 2006. Unlike its commercial next-gen sequencing rivals – Roche/454, Illumina, Applied Biosystems (ABI) and Helicos – Complete Genomics will not be selling individual instruments, but rather offer a service aimed initially at big pharma and major genome institutes. “Our mission is to be the global leader in complete human genome sequencing,” chairman, president and CEO Clifford Reid in a briefing last week. “We are setting out to completely change the economics of genome sequencing so that we can do diagnostic quality human genome sequencing at a medically affordable price. Essentially, [we’ll...

Invitrogen Corporation and Applera Corporation today announced that their Boards of Directors have approved a definitive merger agreement, under which Invitrogen will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Applera's Applied Biosystems Group a cash and stock transaction valued at $6.7 billion. This strategic combination will create a global leader in biotechnology reagents and systems generating approximately $3.5 billion in combined sales, with significant commercial, operational and technical scale, uniquely positioned to accelerate and drive new discoveries and commercial applications. The combined company will have a major presence in key growth markets and exceptional technical capabilities in the areas of genetic analysis, proteomics , cell biology and cell systems. Following the close of the transaction, the combined organization will be named Applied Biosystems, Inc. and will have its corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Under the terms of the merger agreement, ...