MoneyWeek promotes Illumina

Illumina: shedding light on genetics

Illumina, the genome sequencing specialist, is a leader in a thriving market. Long-term investors should buy now, says Mike Tubbs.

The science of who we are and how we got here has advanced in leaps and bounds in recent years. Take genome sequencing, the process of identifying the order of genetic ‘letters’ in an organism’s DNA, or genetic code; ‘reading’ the genetic structure, essentially.

The whole human genome consists of three billion of these letters. It cost about $3bn and took 13 years for the very first decoding of a human genome to be completed in 2003. But today high-tech machines supplied by Illumina (Nasdaq: ILMN) do the same job for less than $1,000 in mere days.

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Massive family tree predicts life span is 16% heritable

Thirteen million degrees of Kevin Bacon: World’s largest family tree shines light on life span, who marries whom

Researchers have published what may be the validated largest family tree ever: a genealogy database stretching back 5 centuries that links 13 million people related by blood or marriage. The tree has already led to such insights as the link between genes and longevity and why our ancestors married whom they did. And researchers say that’s just a start.

“This study is an impressive and clever use of crowdsourcing data to address a number of interesting scientific questions,” says geneticist Peter Visscher of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, who was not involved with the work. The tree’s bigger promise, he and others say, could come if it were linked to health information to explore the role of genetics in diseases.

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Arizona considers an approach to Genomics that's sure to make people mad

You may soon have to give your DNA to the state and pay $250 for the privilege

Arizona could soon be one of the first states to maintain a massive statewide DNA database. 

And if the proposed legislation passes, many people — from parent school volunteers and teachers to real estate agents and foster parents — will have no choice but to give up their DNA. 

Under Senate Bill 1475, which Sen. David Livingston, R-Peoria, introduced, DNA must be collected from anyone who has to be fingerprinted by the state for a job, to volunteer in certain positions or for a myriad of other reasons.

The bill would even authorize the medical examiner's office in each county to take DNA from any bodies that come into their possession. 

The Department of Public Safety would maintain the collected DNA alongside the person's name, Social Security number, date of birth and last known address. 

Any DNA in the database could be accessed and used by law enforcement in a criminal investigation. It could also be shared with other government agencies across the country for licensing, death registration, to identify a missing person or to determine someone's real name.

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Genome editing and global markets overview

Genome Editing: Technologies and Global Markets

Report Scope:
This study is focused on the market side of genome editing and provides a comprehensive review of genome editing technologies, along with updates on the latest related progress in the field. Different market segments for this specific market are covered.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3756560 

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Potential paths to an HIV cure

Second-Ever HIV Cure Seen In London AIDS Patient Is Rare, But It Might Not Have To Be

For just the second time, a patient with AIDS appears to have been cured of the disease after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor with a genetic mutation that provides resistance to HIV, which causes AIDS. But the mutation is exceedingly rare, raising controversial questions of whether it may be replicated using nascent gene-editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9.

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Overlooked potential in Immunochemicals Market?

Global Immunochemicals Market to Witness Exponential Rise in Revenue Share During the Forecast Period

Immunochemistry is a branch of science that deals with the study of the immune system. Immunochemical methods do not require extensive and destructive sample preparation and expensive instrumentation. Most immunochemical methods are based on simple photo, fluoro or luminometric detection. These methods have rapidly replaced chromatographic techniques in clinical diagnostics and offer fast detection of antibodies associated with specific diseases, hormones, disease biomarkers, and pharmaceuticals. Most commonly used assays in clinical immunochemistry involve either quantitative or qualitative formats using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), immunochromatography in the form of lateral-flow devices like dip-sticks and test strips, and Western Blot assays used to interpret data from protein analysis with gel electrophoresis. Moreover, it is also used in food safety assessment, environmental analysis, and the target chemical structures cover the widest range of molecular weight approximately hundreds of kilo Dalton (kD). Immunochemicals also develop antibody assays for cholera, anthrax, and diphtheria toxins.

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Sentiment for Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM)

Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM) Institutional Investors Sentiment Index Worsens in 2018 Q4

Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM) institutional sentiment decreased to 1.12 in 2018 Q4. Its down -0.62, from 1.74 in 2018Q3. The ratio has dropped, as 48 hedge funds started new and increased equity positions, while 43 sold and trimmed holdings in Verastem Inc. The hedge funds in our partner’s database now have: 41.14 million shares, up from 34.34 million shares in 2018Q3. Also, the number of hedge funds holding Verastem Inc in their top 10 equity positions was flat from 1 to 1 for the same number . Sold All: 20 Reduced: 23 Increased: 28 New Position: 20.

Verastem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering and developing drugs for the treatment of cancer. The company has market cap of $225.80 million. The Company’s programs target the focal adhesion kinase and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mTOR signaling pathways. It currently has negative earnings. The Company’s lead FAK inhibitor is defactinib (VS-6063), an orally available candidate for combination therapy with immuno-oncology agents and other anti-cancer compounds.

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Head to head Comparison: Verastem vs Merrimack

Comparing of Verastem Inc. (VSTM) and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:MACK)

Both Verastem Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:MACK) are each other’s competitor in the Biotechnology industry. Thus the compare of their institutional ownership, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and valuation.

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Informed speculation regarding upcoming Epigenetics Markets

Epigenetics Market 2019-2025 By (Growth Potential, Opportunities, Drivers, Industry-Specific Challenges And Risks)

Report Titled “Epigenetics Market Exploration Report Forecast 2019-2025” includes a comprehensive study of the important sections to provide insights on the Epigenetics Market dynamics till 2025, which would enable the stakeholders to capitalize on prevailing market opportunities, newest industry data and Epigenetics Industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and effectiveness.

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Science covers CRISPR in crop plants

Corn and other important crops can now be gene edited by pollen carrying CRISPR

The genome editor CRISPR has transformed many areas of biology, but using this tool to enhance certain varieties of crops such as wheat and corn remains difficult because of the plants’ tough cell walls. Now, a major agricultural company has creatively solved that problem by using pollen from one genetically modified plant to carry CRISPR’s components into another plant’s cells. The solution promises to speed the creation of better and more versatile crops, scientists say.

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Dante Labs starting first of it's new powerhouse sequencing clinic chain

Dante Labs Announces First European Clinic With Integrated 30X Whole Genome Sequencing in Standard Clinical Care

Dante Labs takes the first step of its ambitious project to integrate high coverage genome sequencing in clinical care in clinics and hospitals. 

Dante Labs has announced the first of hundreds of European clinics which will integrate whole genome and whole exome sequencing in standard clinical care, further making personalized medicine a standard within the European health care system.

The clinic, "Villa Letizia," is located in L’Aquila, Italy, and is the selected destination for patients across the entire Mediterranean region. Patients will receive 100X whole exome or 30X whole genome sequencing with premium turnaround time and personalized reports as part of their standard clinical care.

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Cannabis Sequencing Tech

Segra Deploys Disruptive Cannabis DNA Sequencing Platform

March 04, 2019 12:05 ET | Source: Segra International Corp.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Segra International Corp. (“Segra” or the “Company”), a cannabis agritech company, is pleased to announce that its Genotyping and Molecular Lab Services Division (“GMLSD”) has installed and operationally qualified Nanopore-based sequencing for its Next Generation Sequencing (“NGS”) platform. NGS allows for the collection of large amounts of genetic data from cannabis samples. You put your weed in there.

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Early days for new MGI sequencing tech...

MGI Announces New Advanced Sequencing Chemistry (CoolNGS)

MGI's "Broadband" Sequencing Delivers Bandwidth to Achieve Genome for All Vision

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MGI, a subsidiary of BGI Group, unveiled its novel CoolNGS chemistry, a disruptive new sequencing approach for its DNBseq™ sequencing technology that enhances the throughput, accuracy, read length and cost effectiveness of DNA sequencing.

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More machine learning making models...

Sberbank creates algorithm to do data scientists' job

It seems that even data scientists are not immune to the corrosive impact of artificial intelligence on the jobs market. Russia's Sberbank claims to have created an algorithm - Auto ML (machine learning) - that "acts like a data scientist", creating its own models that then solve application tasks.

The bank carried out its first pilot in January, using Auto ML algos to create several baseline models to help with the targeting of sales campaigns.

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Genome sequencing "a waste of time for healthy people" claims NHS officials, missing the point

Genome sequencing for healthy dismissed as waste of time for UK project

Healthy people in the UK are to be controversially offered genetic testing by the National Health Service (NHS) – for a fee. The plan has stoked concerns among geneticists and clinicians, who question its clinical usefulness for healthy people and worry it could waste NHS resources.

UK health minister Matthew Hancock said seriously ill children and adults with genetic conditions will be offered the service for free, but healthy people will pay and have the option of having their DNA analysed by NHS scientists. This will help predict a patient’s risk of developing various conditions, he said.

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Time to start watching Quantum more closely, here's a list...

10 hot quantum-computing startups to watch

Well-funded young companies drawing on academics and industry veterans for leadership are tackling hardware, software, algorithms, security, analytics, and more that are needed for quantum computing to become a reality in enterprises.

Quantum computing is still in its infancy, but you wouldn’t know it judging from the investments pouring into the space.

2019 looks like it could be an inflection-point year for turning quantum computing from theory to fact. IBM, D-Wave, and Rigetti all have commercial quantum computing products on the market now, and several startups in this top-10 lineup have already landed customers.

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After Scandal, China Proposes New Rules for Gene Editing

China has proposed new rules for gene editing and other “high risk” biomedical technologies. The proposals come three months after a Chinese researcher was widely criticized after claiming he had created the world’s first genetically-edited babies.

A draft of the measures was published this week on the website of China’s National Health Commission. The new rules would cover gene editing, stem cell experiments and biological products created for the human body, the Chinese government-supported Global Times newspaper reported.

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Uh-oh! 2 New Studies Emphasize CRISPR Off-Target Edits and Imperfections

CRISPR, the gene editing technique that promises to revolutionize healthcare and medicine, is not perfect. Right from the beginning, there have been concerns that this technique, which makes it easy to select specific areas of the genome and quickly and easily snip out and replace pieces of DNA, may also make unintended cuts in other areas of the genome at the same time. And two new studies, one in mice embryos and the other in rice plants, seem to confirm this.

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