genomics

Astrid Irwanto is the co-founder and COO of NalaGenetics, a company taking a novel, personalized approach to understanding genetic susceptibility to drug reactions in Southeast Asian populations. A PhD in human genetics and postdoctoral research in genetics disease, along with personal experiences, fuel Astrid’s pursuits. In this interview, we discuss NalaGenetics’ approach to pharmacogenomics and why Astrid decided to translate her academic research to a molecular diagnostics company.

Join Terence, a motivated undergrad, as he experiences the ups and downs of research using next-generation sequencing, learning valuable tips for successful NGS experiments along the way

The PTC Tempo Thermal Cycler represents the next generation of conventional PCR thermal cyclers from Bio-Rad. Engineered to maintain thermal performance, the PTC Tempo Thermal Cycler offers the flexibility to scale with your laboratory. The design features a refreshed, intuitive user interface and flexible connectivity options for streamlining protocol management. A motorized lid enables automation, taking your PCR to the next level with modern instrument control.

RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a fundamental discovery technique for determining the expression patterns of encoded genes. RNA-Seq has led to innumerable breakthroughs across disciplines; however, a need remains for new sequencing and library preparation technologies to address gaps in current methods. Read how improved access to RNA-Seq would benefit translational research and how a novel RNA library preparation chemistry can synergize with new sequencing platforms.

When it comes to tumor profiling, the poor quality and degradation of RNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples are major limitations. To overcome this challenge, we tested a novel RNA-Seq workflow using the SEQuoia Complete Library Prep Kit and the SEQuoia Ribodepletion Kit. This workflow offers more complex transcriptome profiling, including both long and short RNA biotypes, to better represent the complete transcriptome.

Increasingly, biopharma research & development experimental data are siloed and stored in varying formats. This makes it difficult to search, retrieve and share data. Furthermore, these data are often not interoperable, making it impossible to compare. Data needs to be better managed to be more collaborative, shareable, and interoperable, in order to accelerate research and continue making breakthroughs. Data standardization aims to forge a path toward machine-readable and actionable data that can be found, accessed, and reused with minimal human intervention.

The Human Genome Project was completed nearly two decades ago, in 2003. The primary vision of this project was to produce a human reference genome, a representative example of the set of genes in one idealized individual human. However, the currently available reference genomes do not represent the genetic diversity found across different human populations. As such, any downstream products (drugs therapies, personalized medicine, etc.) derived from the human genome will not accurately represent the vast majority of the human population.

Artificial intelligence (AI) relies on building a model and applying it to solve a specific problem. Read how AI is being used to accelerate research and development, process development, manufacturing, and clinical trials within genomics.

Single-cell techniques offer exciting, new ways to understand personalized medicine and research. Developing these techniques at Bio-Rad is Dr. Kelly Kaihara, the third guest on Brilliant Science. Read about what makes single-cell analysis different and Kaihara’s perspective on its potential moving forward.