Steve Harvey

If you're working with one of the more "unique" species and struggling to find antibodies that are validated in said species, you don't have to go through the struggle alone. 🤝 Just yesterday a researcher approached me saying they were struggling to find antibodies for ~10 targets - their species of interest - drosophila (that's a fruit fly for any none scientists like me out there). 🪰 << not a scientifically accurate emoji. Within less than 24 hours, I'd received their list, sent it to our amazing R&D team and received back an analysis of what we have on our catalogue and if it's likely to cross react with drosophila. 💡 A painful task for the researcher, made simple by our brilliant scientists. 👏🏻 Pair that with our product guarantee if they don't happen to work & the ability to try small tester sizes first and you're laughing. Find me a company that works this hard to help it's customers... I'll wait 😍 Ask your Proteintech Group rep to do the same for you today! #ELISA #IF #antibodies #WesternBlot #FlowCytometry

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With so many badass publications now featuring Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the teams are now assembling monthly blogs - read on for a digest of COOL OMICS https://lnkd.in/eFJTJ-em My pick of the pick: Real-time genomic characterisation of paediatric acute leukaemia using adaptive sampling (bioRxiv) -Peripheral blood or bone marrow from 54 paediatric acute leukaemia cases with diverse genomic subtypes were analysed. -Adaptive sampling was used to enrich 59 genes commonly involved in translocations/fusions in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). -Oxford Nanopore sequencing provided all genomic information currently offered by traditional diagnostic testing (karyotype, FISH, and occasional microarray) for paediatric acute leukaemia, but was also able to characterise aneuploidy and structural variants in challenging repetitive regions. -There was no loss in sensitivity or throughput between freshly collected and cryopreserved samples, whereas karyotype and FISH are reliant on high-quality viable cells. -The researchers suggested that nanopore sequencing could be a low-cost future alternative to current diagnostic tools, increasing accessibility to LMICs.

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Interesting Nature paper on the clinical impact of the UK 100,000 genomes project. The conclusion section reads: "The Project has established essential National infrastructure and local experience to deliver WGS. Even with an unselected WGS approach, clinical recommendations were made in the majority of participants with interpreted results. Systematic evaluations of genomics medicine pathways in a clinically relevant timeframe will be essential to maximise benefits for patients." I read the paper and I really feel that the authors buried the lede here. I dug in and found very sobering math that IMO sadly leads to a far less encouraging conclusion: only 1 in 200 of the participating patients were given a new therapy as a result of the project 😥 Now, please beware this is my math done on the my reading of the paper, but it's pretty simple math even by standards so I think I got it right? 🤷‍♂️ Patients with tumor/normal samples taken: 4830 (=100%) Patients sequenced: 3067 (63%) (other samples rejected due to insufficient quantity/quality) Patients where data was interpreted: 1256 participants (26%) (others had died or been excluded for clinical reasons) Patients with clinically actionable variants: 933 (19%) Patients with therapeutic recommendations: 491 (10%) Patients where therapeutic recommendations were followed: 25 (0.5%) It's somewhat disappointing of course that only 10% of patients got therapy recommendations, but what is shocking to me is that 95% of those recommendations where not followed. Not quite what there implications of this are in terms of population sequencing but I don't think great. Obviously the scientific benefits may have been huge, but from a clinical perspective this seems to be kind of a terrible result? As I recall the involvement of the NHS was a big feature of the program as it provided ties to patient care, but doesn't this mean it didn't work? I mean if only 0.5% of patients got the recommended therapy, what was the percentage of those patients that as a result experienced reduced mortality? Statistically 0.0% I fear, from a $400M program. This is at the very least a very strong reminder that healthcare is an incredibly complex endeavor, and a the development of new technology is only the starting to point to improving patient outcomes 🤔🤔🤔

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🧬 Exciting news out of the UK as the Medical Research Council & THE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL (BBSRC) have provided £28.5 million in funding to establish the Human Functional Genomics Initiative programme. 🧑‍🔬Jonathan Mill has been appointed as Director to lead the #initiative that aims to advance understanding of how genomic variation influences human physiology and how it changes over time and in disease. 📚𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏; - £7 million that will be used to establish a functional genomics screening lab. The lab will perform arrayed #CRISPR genetic screening for HFGI researchers investigating noncancerous diseases including ones affecting the immune, cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems. - £16.9 million will be used to fund 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 research clusters. - £4.6 million will be provided by the 𝐔𝐊𝐑𝐈 councils to support data coordination and networking, as well as collaboration among the program's research clusters and external partners. Good news for #genomic developments across the UK. For more information, take a read of the article below 👇

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📊 #Virchow, 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗲'𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. The largest 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 achieves a stunning 0.95 AUC, enabling 𝗽𝗮𝗻-𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 and outperforming specialty models. A potential game-changer for 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁! Quick Read: https://lnkd.in/gqpXmkzT #Bioinformatics #Cancer #DigitalPathology #Pathology #Diagnostics #PrecisionOncology #HealthCare #Sciencenews

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Whole plasmid sequencing using short read from Illumina and long reads from Oxford Nanopore Technologies has the potential to streamline the quality control of plasmids used in #biotechnology and #lifescience. Casey-Tyler Berezin, PhD and Sarah Hernandez led an effort to evaluate the reproducibility of plasmid sequencing workflows. Some commonly used plasmids are surprisingly challenging to sequence, even when using a hybrid assembly strategy that combines long and short reads. Read the preprint at https://lnkd.in/e6VireeS Contact me if you need help verifying your plasmids. #lablife #synbio #syntheticbiology #reproducibility #biology #molecularbiology

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CAR-T therapies look to be very safe. New data supports low risk of secondary cancers. https://lnkd.in/eyf8bgSP #celltherapy #CAR-T

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'Isn't everyone moving to single cell suspension culture?' A question posed to me last week during an enjoyable investor conversation. It's not the first time we have heard this, nor will it be the last. mABs production set a precedent for single-cell suspension culture, AAV is following in it's footsteps (mostly). It's 100% the right route forward for certain products, however, not all. Adherent cell culture isn't the 'sexy' part of the industry. For decades, it has been difficult and costly to scale. It's still shockingly inefficient which for CellRev equals big opportunity. The microcarrier market is growing very healthily. So, whether it's sexy or not, it's a beautiful not-so-little niche. Our friends Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Cytiva, and Corning LifeScience have thus far dominated the space. However, the entry of new solutions from the likes of Kuraray and Carroucell further demonstrates growing interest in the market. #bioprocessing #cellculture #celltherapies #beautifulculture ________________ CellRev provide media additives to transform process yield with a focus on upstream sticky cell problems such as aggregation, clumping, and cell detachment. Our solutions prevent or reduce cell death. Live Cells. Lives Saved. Credit Emergen Research

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The Summer issue of Drug Discovery World (DDW) is out now! The DDW Summer issue is out now and looks at where the global biotech hubs are for drug discovery and development, asks how 3D genomics can accelerate personalised medicine, and looks at the technological advances in mass spectrometry. It also includes an exclusive global cancer research guide examining the innovation happening in this sector. Other features in the Summer issue include: - How AI can advance the hit-to-lead process - GSK’s efforts in the autoimmune sector - Improving viral vector safety for cell & gene therapy Read the digital version here: https://lnkd.in/eEiBFnsz #DrugDiscovery #DrugDevelopment #LifeSciences

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Antibody structure prediction tool ABodyBuilder3. Another nice piece of work from Prof Charlotte Deane's team. I particularly liked the use of minimisation in explicit water and uncertainty estimation. Title: ABodyBuilder3: improved and scalable antibody structure predictions Abstract: In this article, we introduce ABodyBuilder3, an improved and scalable antibody structure prediction model based on ABodyBuilder2. We achieve a new state-of-the-art accuracy in the modelling of CDR loops by leveraging language model embeddings, and show how predicted structures can be further improved through careful relaxation strategies. Finally, we incorporate a predicted Local Distance Difference Test into the model output to allow for a more accurate estimation of uncertainties. https://lnkd.in/enuu_2BG

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What's in the gene editing toolbox? And why is everyone obsessed with CRISPR (see pic)? 🔬Modern & Legacy Gene Editing Tools🔬 Although there are significant differences between gene editing and genome engineering, editing tools should play a role in the future - providing precise control alongside larger gene system engineering. Before the likes of CRISPR-Cas9 and its derivatives—there was a different generation of genome engineering tools that were the workhorses of biotech. Unfortunately, these tools were labor-intensive and required significant expertise to wield. Most of these tools are still used today, though in much fewer instances than the popular CRISPR: 🔹 Homologous Recombination (HR): More a method than a tool, homologous recombination was one of the original choices for making precise changes to the genome. This natural process was harnessed by researchers to insert, delete, or modify genes. However, the efficiency of homologous recombination can be quite low, and at the time, it was not scalable for rapid discoveries. 🔹 Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs): Developed in the late 1990s, ZFNs work by combining a DNA-cleaving enzyme (nuclease) with a customizable zinc finger protein that binds to a specific DNA sequence. Although powerful, designing and building effective ZFNs was complex, required expertise, and time - as each target sequence had to be paired with a unique zinc finger protein. Early on, specificity issues arose, but careful design could avoid binding to unintended parts of the genome - again, relying on the significant expertise of the designer. 🔹 TALENs: Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) emerged in the early 2010s and operate similarly to ZFNs—but TALENs use transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) to recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences. Considered more user-friendly than ZFNs thanks to easier design, greater specificity, TALENs opened the door to broader applications in fields like gene therapy, disease modeling, and agricultural biotechnology, making them an indispensable tool in the pre-CRISPR era. 🔹 So why is CRISPR so hot? Simple. Its simplicity. Compared to the above tools, CRISPR's ease of design and deployment is unparalleled. This is why its adoption rate skyrocketed and its use continues to grow despite questionable therapeutic applications (off target cuts etc.). Even though CRISPR's precision compared to other tools or methods can actually be worse, its ease of use has allowed massive amounts of important research to be published (see picture). I firmly believe that CRISPR has its place, but new methods and technologies based on the principles of the "old guard" tools will usher in a new golden age of gene editing as an important tool to use WITHIN gene construction/engineering systems. #ThinkMultigenic #GeneEditing #GeneTherapy #CellTherapy #Biotechnology #ZFNs #TALENs #BirdofPrey #CRISPR #Bioengineering #Innovation #Healthcare

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📊 #Virchow, 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗲'𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. The largest 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 achieves a stunning 0.95 AUC, enabling 𝗽𝗮𝗻-𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 and outperforming specialty models. A potential game-changer for 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁! Quick Read: https://lnkd.in/gqpXmkzT #Bioinformatics #Cancer #DigitalPathology #Pathology #Diagnostics #PrecisionOncology #HealthCare #Sciencenews #biotechnology

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What does Cognit AI do? We simulate gene regulatory networks of a biological cell in the computer. Why? So, that humanity doesn’t have to sacrifice more animals in the labs in the name of science. Yup, really that simple. Did you know that 250million animals are sacrificed every year globally for pre-clinical research? #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Biology

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📢Advance your proteomics research with the knowledge and tools to leverage the powerful UK Biobank data​. Join this session of our Technical Webinar on the UK Biobank data! ​ 🧪🧬From data mining to integration - Unleash the power of the UK Biobank data on your proteomics research​ Shana Lamers, our Field Application Scientist, will guide you through the process.​ 🗓️ TOMORROW, July 24, 2024 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT ​ 🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/4buVe5y​ 🔍 #Olink #proteomics #olinktechnicalwebinar #multiomics #OlinkInsight #UKBiobank​ Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost your proteomics toolset!​

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In a groundbreaking study, whole-genome sequencing of 2,023 CRC samples from participants in the UK 100,000 Genomes Project has revealed a detailed somatic mutational landscape of this cancer. The integrated analyses have uncovered over 250 putative CRC driver genes, many of which were previously unknown in CRC or other cancers. Additionally, several recurrent changes outside the coding genome have been identified. Furthermore, the research has expanded the understanding of molecular pathways involved in CRC development, leading to the definition of four new common subgroups of microsatellite-stable CRC based on genomic features. These distinct groups exhibit independent prognostic associations, shedding light on the diverse nature of this cancer. Moreover, the study has delved into rare molecular CRC subgroups, some of which hold potential clinical significance. Notably, cancers with both microsatellite and chromosomal instability have been characterized, providing valuable insights into the complexity of CRC. This comprehensive study not only enhances our knowledge of CRC but also paves the way for more targeted and personalized approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. #PrecisionMedicine #CancerResearch #Genomics https://lnkd.in/g8A7RmfC

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Pick of the week from J Med Chem: non peptidic integrin inhibitors from GSK (Tim Barrett ) for fibrosis. Turning a zwitterion (GSK3008348E) designed for inhaled administration into an orally bioavailable molecule (GSK3335103) with adequate projected human dose. Passive permeability was improved by attenuating the pKa of a pyrrolidine with a beta-fluoro substitution, and reoptimization of clearance was performed via a pyrazole/ether chain swap #medchem https://lnkd.in/ecc_DpMD

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Why are target-specific antibody libraries useful for working with challenging targets? With limited predictive accuracy, AI-designed libraries offer a way to begin tackling 'undruggable' targets, like GPCRs and Ion Channels. #biotech #machinelearning #antibodyengineering

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In a world where reducing energy consumption, using fewer resources, and increasing yields are imperative, engineering biology offers vast possibilities and opportunities. Over the past years, I have been advocating for the application of engineering biology/biological solutions to enhance industrial processes, making them greener and more efficient. Today, I am incredibly happy for two main reasons. Firstly, I am delighted to see engineering biology recognized as a key tool and enabler for sustainable systems in the "𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲" report released by Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). This report is designed to inform chemical engineers across all sectors on how they can create societal benefits and address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Secondly, I am particularly thrilled because years ago, I emphasized to friends and colleagues that engineering biology should be acknowledged as a critical component alongside traditional chemical engineering. Today, that vision is becoming a reality. Engineering biology holds significant potential. I firmly believe that through responsible innovation, advocacy, knowledge sharing, government support and funding, and robust regulatory and ethical frameworks, we can maximize its impact.

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