News • Genetics & Viruses
"Gene scissors" in human cells inhibit viral infections
Scientists at the University of Applied Sciences Krems (IMC Krems) show that CRISPR-Cas9 can also be used to inhibit viruses such as adenoviruses in cell cultures.
DNA
News • Model organisms evolved too far
How lab bacteria became 'estranged' from their real-life counterparts
A model organism used in laboratories for the past 100 years has evolved so extensively that it may no longer be fit for purpose, according to a new study on bacterial strain Escherichia coli K-12.
News • Personalised medicine
DNA-matching medication reduces side effects by 30%
According to an international group of researchers led by Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), patients experience 30% fewer serious side effects when medication doses are tailored to their DNA.
News • Researchers improve DNA cut-and-paste technique
Increasing safety for "gene scissors" CRISPR-Cas9
A new approach on the genetic tool CRISPR-Cas9 could reduce the risk of unwanted mutation, making it safer for use in humans, Dutch researchers have found.
News • Strand-seq
AI analysis of cancer mutations: a promising step towards new therapies
Combining single-cell data with a self-learning algorithm reveals how structural changes in chromosomes can trigger cancer. This could pave the way for personalized cancer treatments.
News • Promising reseach results
Using artificial DNA to kill cancer
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have used artificial DNA to target and kill cancer cells in a completely new way. The method showed promising results against various cancers in lab tests on mice.
News • CLL types with distinct biological and clinical features
Whole genome profiling reveals new leukaemia subgroups
A collaborative study has defined five new subgroups of the most common type of blood cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and associated these with clinical outcomes.
News • Conference attendance
New lab systems for virology showcased at ESCV 2022
Dutch global DNA/RNA technology solutions provider MolGen B.V., participates in the 24th Annual Conference of the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) held in Manchester, UK.
News • Genome instability
Gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 can lead to cell toxicity
Researchers identify critical spots on the genome where gene editing could cause an unwanted response, and they provide recommendations for safer approaches.
News • Novel disease therapies
"Soft” CRISPR may offer fix for genetic defects
A new approach makes use of natural DNA repair machinery and provides a foundation for novel gene therapy strategies with the potential to cure a large spectrum of genetic diseases.
News • Not just for bitcoin
Blockchain can secure and store genomes
Blockchain is a digital technology that allows a secure and decentralized record of transactions. Now, researchers leveraged blockchain to give individuals control of their own genomes.
News • Nanochannels
Groundbreaking: Nanofluidic scattering microscopy
To develop new drugs, detailed knowledge about nature’s smallest biological building blocks is required. A new microscopy technique that allows proteins, DNA and other tiny biological particles to be studied in their natural state.
News • Genetics research
Chromosomes: How the 'extra X factor' is putting men at risk
Around one in 500 men could be carrying an extra X or Y chromosome – most of them unaware – putting them at increased risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
Article • Clinical computational tools
Managing cancer more effectively
Computational approaches are being applied on enormous amounts of data from sequencing technologies to develop tools to help clinicians manage cancer more effectively.
Sponsored • Pathogen detection
MolGen introduces high quality DNA/RNA extraction kits for efficient high throughput testing
SARS-CoV-2 has heavily impacted global society with high pressure on public health and economics. MolGen is proud to assist in relieving some of the pressure and support the testing framework.
News • From decades to days
Single test for over 50 genetic diseases cuts diagnosis
A DNA test has been shown to identify a range of hard-to-diagnose neurological and neuromuscular genetic diseases quicker and more-accurately than existing tests.
News • Pathogen analysis
Unlocking epidemic prevention with affordable genome sequencing
A worldwide consortium aims to equip researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with cheap and accessible methods for sequencing large collections of bacterial pathogens.
Sponsored • DNA extraction chemistry
Providing innovative molecular workflows to empower future diagnostics
Founded in 2018 as a DNA extraction chemistry company, Dutch company MolGen entered the market operating within the agricultural sector. At first, the company’s founders, Maarten de Groot, Wim van Haeringen and Niels Kruize, focused solely on this one industry, mainly developing and marketing advanced bulk chemistry kits for DNA/RNA extraction. These testing products and solutions successfully…
News • Laboratory equipment
MolGen opens new UK office
DNA / RNA extraction technology, system, products and kits for human and animal diagnostics, agriculture, aquaculture, pharma and biotech solutions provider MolGen B.V., announces the recent opening of its UK office. The new office is located at 6th Floor, South Quay Building, 189 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SH. This expansion will enable the company to meet the rapidly increasing demand for…
News • DNA analysis
Should all babies have their genome sequenced at birth?
Genomics England, a government owned company, recently announced a pilot programme of whole genome sequencing to screen for genetic diseases in 200,000 healthy seeming newborns. But should every newborn baby have their whole genome sequenced? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ. Extensive clinical evidence has shown that screening for genetic diseases saves lives, and research has shown that it…
Article • NGS solution
Using liquid biopsy to detect recurrent breast cancer earlier
An innovative collaboration has been formed in the UK between academic researchers and industry to develop a rapid integrated liquid biopsy platform for early detection of recurrent breast cancer. Breast cancer specialists Professor Charles Coombes, who is Professor of Medical Oncology at Imperial College London (ICL), and Professor Jacqui Shaw, Head of the Department of Genetics and Genome…
News • DNA damage causes AML
Cancer chemotherapy side-effects on blood cell development
By analysing secondary acute myeloid leukaemias, researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) Barcelona have detected mutations caused by platinum-based chemotherapies in cells that were healthy at the time of treatment. Treatment with chemotherapies influences the development of blood cells, favouring clonal hematopoiesis from cells with pre-existing mutations. The study has…
Article • Precision oncology
Personalized health and genomics: Minimizing collateral damage
A solid diagnosis has always been the first step on any patient’s journey to health. However, diagnostic categories are necessarily oversimplifications. In the last decades, medical professionals and scientists have begun to uncover the true variability in patients’ physiological and biochemical make-up that is the principal cause for individual variations in the way diseases present…
Article • dPCR and HSAFM
Low-cost technique for missed genetic mutations
A new low-cost method targeting genetic mutations often missed by existing diagnostic approaches has been developed. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the United States noted that most rearrangement mutations implicated in cancer and neurological diseases fall between what can be detected by DNA sequence reads and optical microscopy methods. The new technique combines…
News • CRISPR-Cas9
An 'on-off switch' for gene editing
Over the past decade, the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has revolutionized genetic engineering, allowing scientists to make targeted changes to organisms’ DNA. While the system could potentially be useful in treating a variety of diseases, CRISPR-Cas9 editing involves cutting DNA strands, leading to permanent changes to the cell’s genetic material. Now, in a paper published online in Cell,…
