StemCell Therapy

Two Yale research teams will each receive approximately $9 million in grants from the Aligning Sciences Across Parkinsons (ASAP) initiative to study the underlying biology of Parkinsons disease.

The ASAP grants, to be distributed over three years, are part of a major international, multi-institutional effort to uncover the basic disease mechanisms that drive the progressive neurological disorder, which afflicts 7 to 10 million people worldwide. The initiative builds and leverages a network of leading investigators, which will ultimately serve to promote rapid access to data, enabling breakthroughs across scales that will accelerate benefits for patients.

A Yale team headed byPietro De Camilli, the John Klingenstein Professor of Neuroscience, professor of cell biology, and investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will study how gene mutations linked to Parkinsons affect the function of brain cells during the course of the disease. De Camilli will team with scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine to study the impact of Parkinsons disease on the physiology and metabolism of synapses, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets.

A second Yale team led byDavid Hafler, the William S. and Lois Stiles Edgerly Professor of Neurology and professor of immunobiology, will investigate whether the progression of Parkinsons disease pathology in the brain is initiated by an autoimmune process triggered by the gut microbiome. The research, part of the Center for Neuroinflammation at Yale, will leverage long-standing collaborations with researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute to produce an unprecedented map of the neuro-immune-gut interactions, with the goal of identifying new treatments for the disease.

The awards to two Yale teams illustrate the universitys dedication to collaborative science and the growing role Yale neuroscientists are playing in elucidating fundamental mechanisms of the most intractable conditions afflicting the brain and central nervous system, said Nancy J. Brown, dean of the Yale School of Medicine. Without a more robust understanding of basic mechanisms we cannot make progress in the treatment of Parkinsonism, she added.

Other Yale members of the De Camilli team areKarin Reinisch, the David W. Wallace Professor of Cell Biology and of molecular biophysics and biochemistry;Shawn Ferguson, associate professor of cell biology and neuroscience; andKallol Gupta, assistant professor of cell biology.

Other Yale members of the Hafler team areLe Zhang, assistant professor of neurology;Sreeganga Chandra,associate professor of neurology and neuroscience;Rui Chang,assistant professor of neuroscience;Noah Palm,assistant professor of immunobiology;Brian KooandJesse Cedarbaum, members of the clinical Department of Neurology; andDavid van Dijk, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and Genetics.

ASAP is a coordinated research initiative dedicated to fostering collaboration and resources to better understand the underlying causes of Parkinsons disease. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is ASAPs implementation partner and issued the grants.

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Yale teams get multi-million-dollar awards to study biology of Parkinson's - Yale News

*The Iranian writer holds a PhD in Genetics, Molecular Biology and Epigenetic and works at the Genetics Department of the University of Malayas Faculty of Science.

KUALA LUMPUR

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. IPCC officially released a critical report in 2014 that addressed the impact of global warming on living phenomena on Earth [1]. In 2015 the UN Climate Change Conference, held in Paris, aimed to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on curbing the effects of climate change. Leaders of 150 nations, along with 40 thousand delegates from 195 countries attended 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in order to tackle climate change on a global political level.

Climate change in the Middle East area is an issue taking on a greater and greater intensity. Middle East countries, especially Iran, will be experiencing an increase of 2.6 degrees C in mean temperatures in the following decades.

It is predicted that the environmental temperature will increase substantially in Southeast Anatolia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region, including Iran [2] and Turkey by the end of the 21st century [3]. Iran has been a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 1992 and Turkey became a member in 2004 [4]. Even though both countries are members of the UNFCCC and despite the critical climate situation warnings regarding these regions, the lack of high-quality data and information, the insufficiency of scientific research as well as risk management of natural resources, and the current level of attention given to the profound relationship between human health and climate change are alarming.

The environmental temperature might have fluctuating impacts on many creatures throughout their lives, including humans. This effect may occur yearly, seasonally, or daily, and usually does not remain constant. There is a question to ponder on; how does an organism struggle with long-term or severe temperature changes? [5] Heat exposure will cause a broad range of negative results for human beings, which will start with an unpleasant sensation, continue with decreasing performance in physical activities and cognitive faculties, followed by a number of cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms that will lead to diseases in addition to an increasing number of hyperthermia- and hypothermia-related and heatstroke deaths, all of which mean higher mortality.

Cardiovascular, respiratory and trauma deaths have been reported to increase in extreme temperatures in Iran. It was also reported that diseases like malaria, leishmaniasis and cholera may change pattern and appear in provinces where they were not prevalent before. [2]

Recently, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has shown parallels with morbidity in certain sections of societies. There is a need to identify vulnerable populations. The adverse health effects are often preventable with relatively simple measures; therefore, factors such as age, gender, fitness, subcutaneous fat, shape and form, health, medication, adaptation will affect the heat balance. The development of management at the initial steps of the vulnerability will improve the function and working ability and reduce healthcare costs.

It was estimated that, without accounting for harvesting activities, summer heat accounted for the loss of approximately 23,000 years of life per year during the 1990s. During these years, 55 % of life lost was among individuals younger than 75. A trial study confirmed that mortality displacement was applied in society for 30 days; the overall impact was reduced by 75% on the average count. Harvesting was more pronounced in North-continental cities than in Mediterranean cities and was stronger among young people than among the elderly. [6].

The estimate of the threshold during the period evaluated was 29.4 degrees C for Mediterranean cities and 23.3 degrees C for North continental cities. It was estimated that only a 1-degree C increase in maximum apparent temperature above the Mediterranean cities threshold was 3.12%, and for North continental cities 1.84%. The highest mortality rate was seen in elderly people and due to respiratory diseases, demonstrating that the segment of the population most vulnerable to heat were elderly people. Subsequently, those with chronic diseases, children, women above 65 years of age, and people adapted to cold climates had serious difficulties coping with heat, and overall they were considered a vulnerable population.

Socioeconomic factors such as social isolation, air-conditioning usage, exceptional situations (such as long electricity blackouts), and lack of experience in dealing with the new environmental conditions are considered as other factors that increase the mortality rates in these areas. In critical circumstances, individuals taking appropriate approaches towards heat are essential. In healthy people in the population, the amount of exposure to heat, exercise, clothing (i.e. use of textile materials with good moisture transfer qualities), nutrition and hydration are essential. In the at-risk population, right adjustment of medication, treatment, proper behavior in crisis are very important. Lastly, there are discussions on organization management in terms of changing the workplace rules for reducing the time individuals are exposed to heat. In conclusion, human lifestyle plays a vital role in coping with climate change and heat exposure [7].

Effect of global warming and environmental temperature on human enzymatic activity and disease rate

The impact of climate change has been significantly threatening human health based on different parameters. Temperature is a dangerous abiotic factor that affects organisms on an ecological level through infiltrating their molecular and cellular structures. Temperature (heat-cold) is a measure of the kinetic energy of the molecules in a system. Environmental temperature has a direct effect on the molecular response and enzymatic activity of animals and subsequently has a direct impact on the rate of the disease.

At this stage, a question arises: what other mechanisms might be affected in response to thermal stress? An additional serious question also suggests itself: what effects does temperature have on enzymatic activity?

Enzymes are protein molecules activated in their tertiary structure. An enzyme may become inactive by an inhibitor or under adverse thermal circumstances. The enzyme activity would reach its highest range in the optimum thermal condition and will decrease in high temperature due to denaturation.

All enzymes have a range of temperatures for their activities. In eukaryotes, the enzymes have an optimum temperature that is the best reaction for their optimum enzymatic activity, which in humans is around 37 degrees (98.6F), the average body temperature. Enzymes activity has an interdependent interaction with high temperatures [8]. All animals have the capacity to adapt to the environmental temperature, albeit in limited scopes. In order to survive, animals from hot climates such as deserts and tropical climates adapt their enzymatic activity to the highest optimum range.

In contrast, animals from cold weather adapt their enzymatic activity to the lowest optimum range [9]. Even though the animals have this adaptation capacity to the temperature limits, there is still a limited tolerance range for their enzymatic activity and survival [10]. These limited ranges are the two ends of the enzyme activity. Enzymes are proteins, and they will break down at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) [11].

Most animal enzymes will lose their activity above 40 degrees C. In high temperatures, the active site of the enzyme will be denatured and lose its 3D structure. The temperature, therefore, has a strong effect on enzyme activity [11]. And the deficiency in enzymatic activity due to heat caused by climate changes will subsequently cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, mental health problems [12, 13], and different types of cancer [14].

Conclusion

Even though the IPCC reports addressing the impacts of global warming on Earth were officially released in 2014, the effect of temperature on human health has since remained largely neglected. It is clear that the environmental temperature has a direct impact on the body temperature and, subsequently, on the enzymatic activity as an environmental stressor. All beings, including human beings, are threatened by the fluctuations in environmental temperature caused by global warming. It has become critical to determine the scope of scientific research on climate change and the associated animals and human health impact. So, to the authors point of view, such studies that report on human health and environment interaction under different climate circumstances contribute to generating more insights into the impacts weather and temperature have on human health.

**Opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.

References:

[1] Pachauri, R.K., et al., Climate change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2014: Ipcc.

[2] Khanjani, N., The Effects of Climate Change on Human Health in Iran Public Health Review, 2016. 3(1).

[3] R, I.O.E.U.T., Turkeys National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan. , 2011.

[4] Wikipedia, List of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

[5] Hochachka, P. and G. Somero, Biochemical adaptation: mechanism and process in physiological evolution. 2002: Oxford University Press.

[6] Michela Baccini, et al., Heat Effects on Mortality in 15 European Cities. Epidemiology, 2008. 19: p. 711-9.

[7] MIkheimo, T., The effects of temperature on human health. Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, 2013.

[8] Rodrigues, R.C., et al., Modifying enzyme activity and selectivity by immobilization. 2013. 42(15): p. 6290-6307.

[9] Bilal, M. and H.M.J.I.j.o.b.m. Iqbal, Naturally-derived biopolymers: Potential platforms for enzyme immobilization. 2019.

[10] Jiang, W., et al., Effects of temperature change on physiological and biochemical responses of Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis. Aquaculture, 2016. 451: p. 463-472.

[11] Wei, Y., et al., Improved lignocellulose-degrading performance during straw composting from diverse sources with actinomycetes inoculation by regulating the key enzyme activities. 2019. 271: p. 66-74.

[12] Ito, K., S.F. De Leon, and M.J.E. Lippmann, Associations between ozone and daily mortality: analysis and meta-analysis. 2005: p. 446-457.

[13] Page, L.A. and L.J.P.M. Howard, The impact of climate change on mental health (but will mental health be discussed at Copenhagen?). 2010. 40(2): p. 177-180.

[14] Seyfried, T.N.J.F.i.c. and d. biology, Cancer as a mitochondrial metabolic disease. 2015. 3: p. 43.

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ANALYSIS - Effect of global warming and environmental temperature on human health and lifestyle - Anadolu Agency

FLOYD COUNTY The community is remembering the legacy of Ray Weatherholt, a beloved high school teacher who sparked a love for learning and science in many students over the years.

Weatherholt, a retired science educator who taught for 36 years at Floyd Central High School, died Tuesday at age 80. He was known for his passion for nature and gardening, and he was involved in organizations such as the Floyd County Purdue Extensions Sunnyside Master Gardeners program.

Weatherholt taught at Georgetown High School from 1964 to 1966, and he started teaching at Floyd Central High School when it opened in 1967. He retired from Floyd Central in 2002.

At Floyd Central, he helped establish rigorous science classes such as anatomy, microbiology and botany, and he was inducted into the schools Hall of Fame in 2016.

Dr. Rex Bickers, a retired neonatologist, attended Weatherholts biology class the year Floyd Central opened, and the teacher quickly became his mentor. He received an advanced education as Weatherholts student, and he was not challenged like that again until medical school, he said.

What I got out of 10th grade biology class was a transition into medical school biochemistry class thats no joke, he said.

Although Weatherholt was only 13 years older than Bickers, he became like a second father to him. They have been good friends over the past 20 years. They often talked, got together or emailed each other, and they enjoyed sending each other science news.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, Bickers reflected on the loss of his friend and former teacher.

For now, the smile of that extraordinary man has disappeared, those hands, that heart the size of Mammoth Cave, he wrote. But I will stop breathing before Ray Weatherholt leaves my brainand all the buzzing molecules that keep him alive there.

Lee Schmidt, a 1999 Floyd Central grad, said Weatherholt was a major reason he became a scientist. He went on to receive a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular genetics.

Weatherholt was a quiet, gentle man who loved biology, life and learning, Schmidt said, and he was a teacher who never stopped learning.

In his classes, students learned from college textbooks, and students were encouraged to challenge themselves through science experiments. Schmidt said Weatherholt taught him the art of failing, a life lesson that has been valuable in his work as a scientist and researcher.

He said if I dont fail early, fail often, Im not pushing myself that was one of my favorites, he said. Dont be scared of having an experiment go wrong, and dont be afraid to have a result that doesnt tell you anything, but learn from it. All data provides a lesson learn from it, keep adapting, evolving and trying again.

For Stephanie Carroll Lone, a science teacher at New Albany High School, Weatherholts influence was life-changing.

He had a way of making you want to do your very best, and she learned to love science, work hard and think in his classes, she said. She took several upper-level science classes with him during her junior and senior years before graduating from Floyd Central in 1995.

Floyd Central was a great school with a lot of good, challenging teachers, she said. Mr. Weatherholts class was one of the first that had really, really challenging upper-level thinking, and he motivated us to reach those high academic levels. He was so excited and passionate about the subject matter, and he got us excited too.

He didnt put stickers on tests unless students received a 100%, Lone said, so when she received a sticker, it was something special, and she felt a sense of achievement.

After she got married, she moved down the street from Weatherholt. As she drove by his home, he often was outside in his garden, and they waved at each other.

When Lone ran into Weatherholt over the past few decades, he always remembered her and knew what she was up to, and he seemed proud that she had followed in his footsteps to become a science teacher, she said.

It inspires her to think of how many people Weatherholt has influenced over the years, including those who became doctors, nurses or teachers, she said.

If he inspired each of those people to be something, and each one of them changed someone elses life, just think of the trickle effect, Lone said.

Weatherholt was involved in the Sunnyside Master Gardeners program for about 20 years. Gina Anderson, Floyd County Purdue Extension Educator, has known him since she started in 2013. He was a mentor to many, and he will be greatly missed in the community, she said.

He brought a wealth of knowledge as a Master Gardeners volunteer, she said, and he loved sharing his knowledge with others. He is the reason the county has so many wooden houses for bluebirds because he led the construction of several thousand boxes for the birds to nest.

He encouraged other people to learn to really involve themselves in something and learn about it, Anderson said. He just brought new knowledge and new perspectives to others.

Joe Hinton, former Floyd Central basketball coach, said in a Facebook post that Weatherholt always had his back when things got tough, and they worked together when Weatherholt coached junior high basketball for him for five years.

Weatherholt loved his profession, Hinton said.

He was good at understanding the kids he taught, he said. He was particularly good with the kids who wanted more beyond the normal load of class work.

Alison Tower Reid, a 1998 Floyd Central grad, said her high school science classes with Weatherholt were harder than any college science classes she took, and Weatherholt inspired her passion for science and nature. She now works as a certified nurse and midwife in Jeffersonville and is pursuing a doctorate in nursing practice.

Weatherholt wouldnt let students do the bare minimum in his class they had to put in an effort and actually learn to make it through the class, she said.

Reid recalls Weatherholts tradition of peeling oranges on test days so the smell could create a sense of calm for students it has always stuck with her, and now, every time she smells an orange peel, she will think of her former teacher, she said.

I will forever see him as a giant teddy bear with a big smile, she said. He was kind of quiet and reserved, and he always had a big smile for students. He was just a happy and gregarious kind of person.

Original post:
Community remembers longtime Floyd Central teacher Ray Weatherholt - Evening News and Tribune

EpiPanelDxPLUS adds to Lineagens expanding menu of diagnostic tests for children with developmental disorders and provides an offering designed specifically for patients that have experienced seizures or other epilepsy-related symptoms

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNGO) today announced the release of EpiPanelDxPLUS by its diagnostics services business, Lineagen. The new laboratory developed test (LDT) and associated clinical support bolsters Lineagens diagnostic services for physicians providing care for pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). EpiPanelDxPLUS is based on a proprietary panel of 223 genes associated with epilepsy-related conditions, more genes than typically found on epilepsy panels available from other service providers and customized for Lineagens core market of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Epilepsy refers to an array of neurological disorders characterized by involuntary seizures and affects approximately 1.2% of the population, or 3.4 million people, in the United States. It is frequently comorbid with other NDDs of childhood development, including intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder and also can co-occur with neuro-behavioral disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Collectively, NDDs represent the most common form of developmental disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1 out of 6 children affected in industrialized countries. Lineagens current menu of FirstStepDx PLUS chromosomal microarray and NextStepDx PLUSwhole exome sequencing offers leading molecular diagnostic tests designed to help pediatricians and pediatric neurodevelopmental specialists manage their patients with NDDs. Offering such physicians a test for epilepsy allows Lineagen to more comprehensively serve their needs.

Identifying the underlying genetic variants that may explain the underlying cause of seizures is extremely important because it informs multiple aspects of clinical care, said Alka Chaubey, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Bionano Genomics. This test allows for personalized treatment of the patient, can predict the recurrence risk for other members of the family, and ends the diagnostic odyssey, which for many families can mean years of doctor visits, invasive tests, and failed or even harmful treatments.

EpiPanelDxPLUS is designed for patients who have experienced seizures, infantile spasms, encephalopathy, or febrile seizures, and has an expected 30% diagnostic yield. Lineagen also offers testing to the parents of the patients. By including the analysis of the genomes of one or both biological parents of the patient from the start, it is possible to increase the detection rate of disease-causing variants and inform on recurrence risk for the family. EpiPanelDxPLUS has been curated based on thorough literature review and includes genes with pathogenic variants identified in more than 2,000 epileptic patients tested by Lineagen.

The use of a targeted gene panel such as EpiPanelDxPLUS fits the testing strategy that is recommended by the American Academy of Neurology and complements existing genetic tests offered by Lineagen such as FirstStepDx PLUS chromosomal microarray and NextStepDx PLUS whole exome sequencing, which are recommended for patients who show a wider array of neurological symptoms. To help tailor medical management, Lineagen also offers pharmacogenomic testing which includes certain genes that are responsible for the metabolism of important anti-epileptic or anticonvulsant drugs prescribed for epilepsy.

We already have a depth of knowledge on epilepsy genetics, added Dr Chaubey. We recently tested a 3-year-old girl with muscle spasms and seizures, as well as her parents, and identified a mutation in the SLC2A1 gene. Based on these results, the doctor was able to treat the child with a simple ketogenic diet and over-the-counter supplementation. If she had instead been treated with barbiturates, at one time a standard treatment for epilepsy patients and now contraindicated in patients with this specific genetic condition, her seizures likely would have gotten worse. This case is one of many where results of a genetic test enabled the family and treating physician to significantly improve the quality of life of the child and family.

"Adding the EpiPanelDxPLUS test to Lineagens menu is a critical step forward in our plan for Lineagen to grow and continue supporting the physicians who rely on them," said Erik Holmlin, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Bionano Genomics. "This test also forms the basis of how we envision incorporating the Saphyr system for comprehensive structural variation analysis into an improved diagnostic testing approach for epilepsy. In its current form, the EpiPanelDx test uses next generation sequencing (NGS) to identify single nucleotide variants and for evidence of gene deletion or duplication in 223 genes. Deletions and duplications are examples of structural variations (SVs) that NGS can detect with reasonable sensitivity, but otherwise, NGS is essentially blind to certain SVs that Saphyr detects with ease. We believe using Saphyr in conjunction with NGS can enable later generations of EpiPanelDxPLUS to have potentially higher diagnostic yields by identifying more genetic variations, which may in turn diagnose more patients, and be a unique combination in the industry.

The EpiPanelDxPLUS diagnostic test is available now with full clinical support including genetic counselling. More details on the diagnostic test are available at https://lineagen.com/epipanel/

About Bionano GenomicsBionano is a genome analysis company providing tools and services based on its Saphyr system to scientists and clinicians conducting genetic research and patient testing and providing diagnostic testing for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities through its Lineagen business. Bionanos Saphyr system is a platform for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific structural variation detection that enables researchers and clinicians to accelerate the search for new diagnostics and therapeutic targets and to streamline the study of changes in chromosomes, which is known as cytogenetics. The Saphyr system is comprised of an instrument, chip consumables, reagents and a suite of data analysis tools, and genome analysis services to provide access to data generated by the Saphyr system for researchers who prefer not to adopt the Saphyr system in their labs. Lineagen has been providing genetic testing services to families and their healthcare providers for over nine years and has performed over 65,000 tests for those with neurodevelopmental concerns. For more information, visitwww.bionanogenomics.com or http://www.lineagen.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, intended use of Lineagens tests, including NextStepDX, anticipated benefits of expanded test offerings from Lineagen, anticipated improvements in patient treatment and diagnosis attributable to Lineagens tests, potential combinations or other uses of the Saphyr system in conjunction with Lineagens tests and any improvements in diagnostic testing generated from such uses. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the global economy; general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive products; failure of our products to achieve the stated objectives or anticipated benefits; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the loss of key members of management and our commercial team; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

CONTACTSCompany Contact:Erik Holmlin, CEOBionano Genomics, Inc.+1 (858) 888-7610eholmlin@bionanogenomics.com

Investor Relations Contact:Ashley R. RobinsonLifeSci Advisors, LLC+1 (617) 430-7577arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact:Darren Opland, PhD+1 (617) 733-7668darren@lifescicomms.com

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Bionano Genomics Expands Its Diagnostic Testing Menu with Launch of Lineagen's EpiPanelDx PLUS Gene Panel Test that Identifies Genetic Conditions...

Koushik Sinha assistant professor of computer science in SIU Carbondales School of Computing, left, and Keith Gagnon, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences, have received a one-year grant from the Walder Foundation aimed at better understanding and tracking the COVID-19 virus as it moves through populations. SIU will receive about $360,000 of the $500,000 grant, which involves sequencing the virus genomes and using analytic tools to track it. (Photo by Yenitza Melgoza)

September 14, 2020

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill. Although COVID-19 is probably 2020s most common term, many wrongly believe it refers to a specific bug that causes myriad symptoms ranging from fairly mild to deadly.

Researchers know the term actually encompasses a constantly evolving and varying virus that changes as it moves through populations over time. Understanding those changes can tell scientists many things, from its origins to the way it spreads to what it might do next, and unlocking those secrets using genetics and tracking technology is the goal of two researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

SIU leading the way

Keith Gagnon, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in SIUs College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences, and Koushik Sinha, assistant professor of computer science in the School of Computing, have received a grant from the Walder Foundation. The SIU researchers will work with other scientists from the Open Commons Consortium in Chicago on the one-year, $500,000 project aimed at improving our understanding of the virus, with SIU receiving about $360,000 of the money.

Under the grant, the Illinois Department of Public Health will supply Gagnons lab with COVID-19 samples from patients mostly located in the Chicago area. Gagnons team will then sequence the virus genomes, and perform evolutionary and phylogenetic analyses on the genome sequences.

Combining data with technology

Gagnon said his lab will sequence the genome of SARS-CoV-2 viruses, which cause COVID-19, from positive patient samples. The study will sequence 5,000 virus genomes over the course of the project.

The genomic and analytic tools we will use should help us understand how the virus is moving and changing over time in the Chicago area by identifying variants of the virus, Gagnon said. We expect to identify the original founder outbreaks of the virus, such as geographic location in the world, and predict when different variants were introduced into the Chicago area.

The lab will sequence and analyze the genomes within two weeks of a positive case, Gagnon said. Combing that information with Google mobility data as practiced by Sinha and his team will reveal the demographics to understand how the virus is affecting certain populations, allowing authorities to make rapid decisions about public health policies.

Bringing analytic tools to the fight

Sinhas team will combine the mutation signatures of each virus, as well as where and when the sample was taken, with powerful analytical tools and map-view visualizations, rapidly sharing results with IDPH and other researchers and making them publicly available for viewing and downloading.

Mapping the diversity of mutations that the virus acquires will provide critical insight into better vaccine development, Gagnon said. And our tools can be used to evaluate the success of future vaccines as they are deployed.

Sinha said the goal is to create a one-stop-shop data and analytics infrastructure for storing, integrating, analyzing, and visualizing multiple types of epidemiological data. His group will create a custom visualization and data-analytics platform called COVID-19 Data Map (CoVD-Map). The platform will be an offshoot of the platform that he began developing in spring during some of the early, uncertain months of the pandemic.

Leveraging outside agencies

The teams CoVD-Map will be integrated with the Chicago CAN Commons and designed to work with other public-health surveillance systems, such as Illinoiss National Electronic Disease Surveillance System and the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

It will be unique in its ability to not only integrate diverse data sources through built-in analytics solutions, but also enable researchers to plug-in their own analytics tools and visualize their results using its visualization framework, Sinha said.

For instance, one analytic tool will be genomic epidemiology predictions of virus movement and change. The platform also will also integrate with other tools to present results in an intuitive, unified and timely manner, Sinha said.

Information enlightens approaches

The results, incorporating additional dimensions of data, will be accessible to government and health officials, researchers, and the public, he said. Healthcare and government officials can use the CoVD-Map to improve situational awareness and formulate responses while researchers can plug-in their own prediction models. Individuals might use it to understand how the pandemic is impacting their area and accordingly change their daily activity patterns.

The advances the teams hope to make might eventually be applied to other theaters and populations

We hope to expand this study to the broader state of Illinois to look at rural counties, as well, over time, said Gagnon, who also holds and appointment as an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the SIU School of Medicine.

Continued here:
SIU researchers receive grant to study COVID-19 genome, track it through population - SIU News

FULL TIME FACULTY POSITION IN CELL AND MOLECULARBIOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES ST.KITTS

Starting Date of Position: The opening isavailable immediately and will remain open until a suitablecandidate is selected. Starting date is flexible.

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) is afour-year school of medicine located in St. Kitts, W.I. withcorporate offices in New York City. UMHS is currently expanding itsCell and Molecular Biology department and is recruiting a newfaculty member to fill a recently-created position. This willinvolve instructing students in medical cell and molecular biology,and possibly segments in other medical courses as assigned by theDean. The position will involve classroom teaching as well asholding daily office hours. In addition to classroom teaching hoursthe position will require serving on university committees as wellas some research involvement with student and faculty researchprojects

UMHS is committed to educating uniquely skilled and diversemedical professionals eager to meet the need for physicians invarious settings throughout the United States and the world. With afocus on quality patient care and utilizing the latest in advancedtechnological instruction and personalized education, our aim is toproduce genuinely passionate physicians highly prepared forpractice in a changing medical landscape. This position willalso involve academic advising and guidance with a segment ofassigned students. This position is full time and requires livingon the beautiful island of St. Kitts, B.W.I.

Cell and Molecular Biology Course Description:This course develops the necessary understanding of how the cellfunctions at the cellular, organelle and molecular levels. Studentsare exposed to a wide variety of topics, such as cell structuresand their functions, membrane transport, signal transduction, DNAreplication and repair, transcription, translation, regulation ofgene expression, cancer and molecular biology techniques.

Responsibilities: The successfulcandidate will be responsible for team-teaching the three creditmedical genetics course and the six credit cell and molecularbiology course. The UMHS calendar year has three fifteen weeksemesters, with two to three weeks break between semester forfaculty leave. Responsibilities include:

Personal Attributes:

Qualifications:

Please send a letter of interest andaccompanying resume via email to hr@umhs-sk.net.

Please view our beautiful island andour state-of-the-art campus on our website: http://www.umhs-sk.org

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CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY job with University of Medicine and Health Sciences | 286368 - The Chronicle of Higher Education

LA JOLLA, Calif., Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced that BioComo, co-developer of MediciNovas SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for COVID-19, announced that its Respiratory Syncytial (RS) virus vaccine using BC-PIV technology induced high neutralizing antibodies in mice. BioComo issued a press release on September 11, 2020.

BioComos RS virus vaccine was created using the BC-PIV and VLP-BC-PIV platform technology developed by BioComo and Mie University. The RS virus specific antigen was loaded into BC-PIV and VLP-BC-PIV and mice were inoculated by intranasal administration. Strong induction of neutralizing antibodies against the prefusion F antigen was confirmed.

RS virus is known to infect the human respiratory tract and re-infection occurs throughout life. In general, RS virus only cause mild cold symptoms in healthy adults. However, infants with a first-time infection, immunocompromised people, and elderly people may develop severe diseases such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. RS virus vaccine development has been ongoing for the past 30 years, but without success to date.

The successful induction of neutralizing antibodies against the RS virus using BC-PIV technology and the intranasal route of administration support the scientific and technical rationale of MediciNovas intranasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for COVID-19. This confirmation of neutralizing antibody induction by the RS virus vaccine strongly supports the likelihood of successful induction of neutralizing antibodies by MediciNovas intranasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine which also uses BC-PIV technology.

BioComos RS virus vaccine mouse model study was conducted at Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) in Leipzig, Germany. IZI is the largest research and development institute in the field of medicine and life sciences in the EU. MediciNova is also planning to work with IZI for additional animal studies for its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.

Yuichi Iwaki, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are very pleased to confirm that an intranasal vaccine using BC-PIV technology induces neutralizing antibodies as demonstrated by BioComos RS virus vaccine. We look forward to reporting additional progress on our intranasal COVID-19 vaccine using BC-PIV as soon as possible.

About the BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine for COVID-19

BC-PIV, an innovative non-transmissible viral vector co-developed by BioComo and Mie University, is derived from the recombinant human parainfluenza virus type 2 (hPIV2). It is highly efficient in its ability to transfer multiple foreign proteins to recipients and has a strong safety profile as no secondary infectious virus is produced. BC-PIV is designed to display not only the gene but also the foreign protein itself on the surface and inside of the viral membrane. Therefore, it can carry the large membrane proteins of viruses and signal transduction receptors/ligand proteins on the viral surface. BC-PIV is able to carry the proteins that require a proper three-dimensional structure or multimeric structure while maintaining the structure. BC-PIV elicits good immunogenicity against antigen proteins without adjuvants. The BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine prototype has been developed to include the specific SARS-CoV-2 antigen protein in order to express maximum antigenicity. The BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine can be developed as an intranasal vaccine in addition to an intramuscular injection because of its high affinity to nasal and upper respiratory tract mucosa, which is the same route of the natural infection of SARS-CoV-2. An intranasal vaccine is expected to induce local mucosal immunity. To date, BioComo has succeeded in producing a recombinant Ebola virus vaccine (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49579-y) and a Respiratory Syncytial virus prefusion F vaccine (unpublished data) using this BC-PIV platform technology.

About BioComo

BioComo, a biotech company founded at Mie Prefecture, Japan in May 2008, is developing cutting-edge technology platforms for creating the novel and predominant vaccine carriers and adjuvants to enhance immunity in collaboration with the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department of Mie University. They have already succeeded in the development of a highly efficacious and state-of-the art vaccine carrier and novel adjuvant candidates. Their technology will be applied to the production of the next generation vaccines for the prevention of infections such as RS virus, Ebola virus, Influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2. It will also enable faster and more cost-effective production of those vaccines. BC-PIV is the core platform technology which carries the corporate namesake, BioComo, and the leading vaccine carrier that is derived from the recombinant human parainfluenza virus 2 (hPIV2) vectors. BioComo is dedicated to inventing new vaccines for both global infection threats as well as malignant tumors.

About MediciNovaMediciNova, Inc. is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company founded upon acquiring and developing novel, small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs with a primary commercial focus on the U.S. market. MediciNova's current strategy is to focus on BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for COVID-19, MN-166 (ibudilast) for neurological disorders such as progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and substance dependence (e.g., alcohol use disorder, methamphetamine dependence, opioid dependence), as well as prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19, and MN-001 (tipelukast) for fibrotic diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). MediciNovas pipeline also includes MN-221 (bedoradrine) for the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma and MN-029 (denibulin) for solid tumor cancers. MediciNova is engaged in strategic partnering and other potential funding discussions to support further development of its programs. For more information on MediciNova, Inc., please visit http://www.medicinova.com.

Statements in this press release that are not historical in nature constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future development and efficacy of BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, MN-166, MN-001, MN-221, and MN-029. These forward-looking statements may be preceded by, followed by or otherwise include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "can," "could," "may," "will," "would," considering, planning or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks of obtaining future partner or grant funding for development of BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, MN-166, MN-001, MN-221, and MN-029 and risks of raising sufficient capital when needed to fund MediciNova's operations and contribution to clinical development, risks and uncertainties inherent in clinical trials, including the potential cost, expected timing and risks associated with clinical trials designed to meet FDA guidance and the viability of further development considering these factors, product development and commercialization risks, the uncertainty of whether the results of clinical trials will be predictive of results in later stages of product development, the risk of delays or failure to obtain or maintain regulatory approval, risks associated with the reliance on third parties to sponsor and fund clinical trials, risks regarding intellectual property rights in product candidates and the ability to defend and enforce such intellectual property rights, the risk of failure of the third parties upon whom MediciNova relies to conduct its clinical trials and manufacture its product candidates to perform as expected, the risk of increased cost and delays due to delays in the commencement, enrollment, completion or analysis of clinical trials or significant issues regarding the adequacy of clinical trial designs or the execution of clinical trials, and the timing of expected filings with the regulatory authorities, MediciNova's collaborations with third parties, the availability of funds to complete product development plans and MediciNova's ability to obtain third party funding for programs and raise sufficient capital when needed, and the other risks and uncertainties described in MediciNova's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and its subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. MediciNova disclaims any intent or obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements.

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MediciNova Announces that BioComo's Intranasal RS Virus Vaccine Successfully Induced Neutralizing Antibodies against the RS Virus in Mice using BC-PIV...

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Cancer Cytopathol. 2020 Sep;128(9):601-610. doi: 10.1002/cncy.22318.

ABSTRACT

The advent of molecular targets for novel therapeutics in oncology, notably for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), led the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) to establish a national network of 28 hospital Molecular Genetics Centers for Cancer (MGCC) in 2007. In each University in France, laboratories were established to develop molecular biology testing to evaluate a few genomic alterations, initially a selection of genes, by using specific targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. In a second phase, the number of studied genes was increased. In 2015, the MGCC benefited from an additional dedicated budget from the INCa to develop next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. In the meantime, a new financial regulation for innovative testing has been established for the acts out of nomenclature. Consequently, all private and public laboratories in France have access to funding for molecular biology testing in oncology. The gene-based PCR assays or NGS tests have benefitted from reimbursement of cost testing by the INCa. Today, the laboratories consider this reimbursement to be only partial, and its use to be complex. In 2018, a strategic plan for medical genomic analyses (France Mdecine Gnomique 2025) was implemented to introduce more systematic sequencing into the health care pathway and oncology practice. The large panel of molecular tests should be centralized to a limited number of molecular genetic centers. This review describes the evolution of the different stages of implementation of molecular pathology testing for NSCLC patients over the last few years in France.

PMID:32885912 | DOI:10.1002/cncy.22318

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Predictive molecular pathology in non-small cell lung cancer in France: The past, the present and the perspectives - DocWire News

Like nearly all other aspects of life, the normal routines of Duke research labs came to a grinding halt due to COVID-19. Duke researchers shared their reflections on the struggles and insights the process of research shutdown and reboot has had within their labs during a Virtual Research Town Hall on Thursday, September 3rd.

The Town Hall, titled The Impact of COVID 19 on Research at Duke, Overcoming Challenges and Pressures was moderated by Duke Vice President for Research, Larry Carin (Ph.D.). Dr. Carin mentioned that discussion of shutting down the research enterprise began in February, and at that point in time it seemed nearly hysterical. However, by mid-March shut-down plans were fully in progress, leaving labs out of commission until mid-June. To get research at Duke back underway, labs were forced to significantly reduce the density of people in facilities and no undergraduate students were allowed to participate.

Though most of the basic science labs are back in operation now, human subjects research trials have had a slower return. In no way is it business as usual. Detailed planning and scheduling, a focus on social distancing, and daily health surveys are all part of the new normal. There is almost a Big Brother feel to this, Dr. Carin said, comparing the moderated tracking of who enters facilities through their DukeCard swipes to George Orwells 1984 dystopian society.

Associate Professor Debra Silver Ph.D. spoke about her neurodevelopmental lab in molecular genetics and microbiology (MGM). In the three-month shutdown, lab members focused on writing reviews, grants, manuscripts, and took online classes to improve skills. Since re-opening, Silvers lab has implemented lab shifts, pre-scheduled experiments, and coordinated use of shared equipment. Some of the biggest issues are the trainees missing out on critical networking and undergraduates forced to transition to nearly exclusively online work. Silver also voiced serious concern for the mental and physical health of lab members, logistical coordination of childcare and homeschooling, challenges faced by international trainees, and the need for flexibility. However, there were some silver linings as well. The Silver Lab engaged with lots of seminars, had joint lab meetings, and the mutual support for one another grew immensely under the unique circumstances.

Both Silvers lab and the West Lab, led by professor Anne West Ph.D. in neurobiology, are heavily reliant on mice for wet lab work. The mandates to reduce their mouse colonies by more than 50% was a large task and now that the labs are up and running, re-expanding the colonies has been a primary focus. West said that, similar to the Silver Lab members, half of her team picked up writing or a computational project while the other half attended online classes or meetings during shutdown. Undergraduates read and presented research papers which turned out to be a very fruitful training experience.

One major roadblock for the West Labs reopening were the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmoud Arbery. The civic unrest surrounding these deaths and the revivalism of the Black Lives Matter movement became a frequent point of discussion in lab meetings. Some members of the West Lab were unable to work during this time. West emphasized the importance of lowered expectations. She asked everyone to focus on one core experiment and to try to come into the lab for at least a few hours a day, a few days a week. The lab has been gaining traction with new data and research papers nearing completion. Like other panelists, West discussed prevailing issues including anxiety and depression, continued societal uncertainties, and the questionable financial future for research.

Assistant professor of anesthesiology Jamie R. Privratsky MD, Ph.D. highlighted COVIDs impact on clinical and critical care research. Among the positive impacts are the Society of Critical Care Medicines COVID-19 registry database, the abilities to do observational and database research work, and research opportunities for working with COVID patients. However, the rest of critical care research has been completely sidelined, clinician-scientists have been moved to mostly clinical duties, and there have been lots of administrative hurdles for conducting COVID related research.

Many colleagues share Dr. Privratskys mixed thoughts on the gains and losses during the halt of critical care research. For those who were able to conduct some research, the risks to personal health also posed looming anxiety and danger. Dr. Privratsky chose to do what he could being physically away from his lab and worked to update protocols, maintain electronic lab notebooks, write methods sections of papers, and care for his mouse colony. He also submitted three grant proposals and said that he left the shutdown with a clearer vision and direction for his research.

The School of Medicines Vice Dean for Basic Science, Colin S. Duckett Ph.D. closed the town hall with encouraging reflections. Out of 17,000 Duke administered COVID tests, there have been very few positives. Duckett emphasized how seriously the Duke community and its recently returned students are taking the continued threat of Coronavirus. Though communications persist as a challenge and many argue that life right now just doesnt feel right, Duckett called attendees attention to the fact that the research enterprise was successfully ramped down, ramped back up, and lab activities have made a nearly completely return. This was and continues to be no small feat and is possible due to highly collaborative efforts, he said.

Further, there were large insights gleaned from this collective experience; those of researchers resiliency, the importance of community, and the need to look beyond work and check in on each other as human beings. Research and the people who make it possible do not exist in a vacuum away from society. Their work and their well-being are subject to the pandemic just like everyone else. Yet, similar to the broader global public, researchers and their research are emerging stronger than before in the face of COVID-19.

Post by Cydney Livingston

Originally posted here:
Covid Tested the Resilience of Duke's Research | Research Blog - Duke Today

Reported Cases Likely One-Fifth of Total in Chittenden County

Mask-wearers on Church Street in Burlington.(Photo: Joshua Brown)

Vermont Business Magazine A novel new study suggests that the behavior public officials are now mandating or recommending unequivocally to slow the spread of COVID-19wearing a face coveringshould come with a caveat. If not accompanied by proper public education, the practice could lead to more infections.

The finding is part of an unique study, just published as a preprint in SSRN, that was conducted by a team of health economists and public health faculty at the University of Vermonts Larner College of Medicine in partnership with public health officials for the state of Vermont.

The study combines survey data gathered from adults living in northwestern Vermont with test results that showed whether a subset of them had contracted COVID-19, a dual research approach that few COVID studies have employed. By correlating the two data sets, researchers were able to determine what behaviors and circumstances increased respondents risk of becoming sick.

The key risk factor driving transmission of the disease, the study found, was the number of daily contacts participants had with other adults and seniors.

That had relevance for two other findings.

Those who wore masks had more of these daily contacts compared with those who didnt, and a higher proportion contracted the virus as a result.

Basic human psychology could be at work, said Eline van den Broek-Altenburg, an assistant professor and vice chair for Population Health Science in the Department of Radiology at the Larner College of Medicine and the studys principal investigator.

When you wear a mask, you may have a deceptive sense of being protected and have more interactions with other people, she said.

The public health implications are clear. Messaging that people need to wear a mask is essential, but insufficient, she said. It should go hand in hand with education that masks dont give you a free pass to see as many people as you want. You still need to strictly limit your contacts.

Public education messaging should make clear how to wear a mask safely to limit infection, van den Broek-Altenburg added.

In a second key finding, the study found that participants living environment determined how many contacts they had and affected their probability of becoming infected. A higher proportion of those living in apartments were infected with the virus compared with those who lived in single family homes.

If you live in an apartment, youre going to see more people on a daily basis than if you live in a single family home, so you need to be as vigilant about social distancing, van den Broek-Altenburg said.

The study controlled for profession to prevent essential workers, who by definition have more contacts and are usually required to wear masks, from skewing the results.

Its generally known that essential workers are at higher risk, and our study bore that out, van den Broek-Altenburg said. We wanted to see what else predicted that people were going to get sick, she said.

Reported cases in Chittenden County only one-fifth of likely total

The study provides the first estimate of unreported cases in Vermonts Chittenden County, where most study participants live. The survey found that 2.2 percent of the survey group had contracted the virus, suggesting that an estimated 3,621 Chittenden County residents were likely to have become ill, compared with just 662 reported cases, just 18%.

That figure translates to a hospitalization rate of 1.2% and adjusted infection fatality rate of 0.55%.

This finding is important for local policy-makers, van den Broek-Altenburg said.

If you know how many people are sick or have been sick, you're much better equipped to make precise predictions of will happen in the future and fashion the appropriate policies, she said.

It also shows the importance of serologic and PCR testing of the general population, she said.

If you only test symptomatic patients, youll never be able to find out how many people have already had the virus. With our random sample study we were able to show that Vermont has so far only tested less than one-fifth of the people who have likely had the virus. To capture the larger population, random samples of the population are needed so we can also capture asymptomatic patients, which appears to be the majority of COVID-19 cases.

The study is a proof of concept, van den Broek-Altenburg said. I hope it leads to other, larger studies that combine survey data with widespread testing. This approach is essential to both understanding the dynamics of this pandemic and planning our response to futures ones.

Ten of the 454 survey respondents who took the serologic test had antibodies for Covid-19, and one tested positive for the virus. Given the small number, researchers simplified their models and were able to reach a high confidence level in the two key findings.

We tested our models and found that the results were robust through several different model specifications, van den Broek-Altenburg said.

To create the study group, the researchers sent a survey to 12,000 randomly selected people between the ages 18 and 70 who had at least one primary care visit at the University of Vermont Medical Center, which services primarily northwestern Vermont, in the past three years.

Coauthors on the study include Eline van den Broek-Altenburg, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Department of Radiology; Adam Atherly, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Center for Health Services Research; Sean Diehl, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Kelsey Gleason University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Victoria Hart, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Charles MacLean, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine; Daniel Barkhuff, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Emergency Department; Mark Levine, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Department of Medicine; Jan Carney, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Department of Medicine.

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UVM Study: Without right messaging, masks could lead to more COVID-19 spread - Vermont Biz

New York, Sept. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Precision Medicine Market: Focus on Ecosystem, Technology, Application, Country Data (21 Countries), and Competitive Landscape - Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2030" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05965013/?utm_source=GNW By Application: Cancer, Infectious Disease, Neurology, Cardiovascular, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology and Other Applications By Region: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest-of-the-World

Cross Segmentation

Applied Sciences: By Product, By Technology, By End User, By Region Precision Diagnostics: By Product, By Technology, By End User, By Region Precision Therapeutics: By Product, By Technology, By End User, By Region Digital Health and IT: By Product, By Technology, By End User, By Region

Regional Segmentation

North America: U.S. and Canada Europe: Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, and Rest-of-Europe Asia-Pacific: Japan, China, India, Australia, and Rest-of-Asia-Pacific Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, and Rest-of-Latin America Rest-of-the-World

Growth Drivers

Advancement of Sequencing Technologies Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases Growing Demand for Preventive Care Shifting the Significance in Medicine from Reaction to Prevention Reducing Adverse Drug Reactions Through Pharmacogenomics Test Potential to Reduce the Overall Healthcare Cost Across the Globe

Market Challenges

Unified Framework for Data Integration Limited Knowledge about Molecular Mechanism/ Interaction Lack of Robust Reimbursement Landscape Regulatory Hurdles

Market Opportunities

Targeted Gene Therapy Expansion into the Emerging Markets Collaborations and Partnerships Across Value Chain to Accelerate the Market Entry

Key Companies Profiled

Abbott Laboratories, Almac Group Ltd, Amgen Inc., ANGLE plc, Astellas Pharma Inc., Astra Zeneca PLC, ASURAGEN INC., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., bioMrieux SA., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Cardiff Oncology, CETICS Healthcare Technologies GmbH, Danaher Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Epic Sciences, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, GE Corporation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Illumina, Inc., Intomics A/S, Johnson & Johnson Company, Konica Minolta, Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, MDx Health, Inc., Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Inc., Merck KGaA, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Novartis AG, Oracle Corporation, Partek, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Quest Diagnostics Inc, Randox Laboratories Ltd., Sanofi S.A., Sysmex Corporation, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Key Questions Answered in this Report: What are the estimated and projected numbers for the global precision medicine market for 2020 and 2030? What are the drivers, challenges, and opportunities that are influencing the dynamics of the market? What is the competition layout of the market? What are the parameters on which competition mapping is carried out in the study? Which key development strategies are being followed and implemented by major players to help them sustain in the market? How are different segments of the market expected to perform during the forecast period from 2020 to 2030? The segments included in the comprehensive market study are: o product type o region o technology o application Which leading players are currently dominating the marke,t and what is the expected future scenario? Which companies are anticipated to be highly disruptive in the future, and why? How can the changing dynamics of the market impact the market share of different players operating in the market? What are the strategic recommendations offered in the study?

Market Overview

Precision medicine refers to the medicine developed as per an individuals genetic profile.It provides guidance regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

The segmentation of the population is done depending on the genome structure of the individuals and their compatibility with a specific drug molecule.In the precision medicine market, the application of molecular biology is to study the cause of a patients disease at the molecular level, so that target-based therapies or individualized therapies can be applied to cure the patients health-related problems.

This industry is gaining traction due to the increasing awareness about healthcare among individuals, integration of smart devices such as smartphones and tablets into healthcare, and increasing collaborations and agreements of IT firms with the diagnostics and biopharmaceutical companies for the development of precision diagnostic tools.

The current precision medicine market is mainly dominated by several majors, such as Abbott Laboratories, Almac Group Ltd, Amgen Inc., ANGLE plc, Astellas Pharma Inc, Astra Zeneca PLC, ASURAGEN INC., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., bioMrieux SA., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Cardiff Oncology, CETICS Healthcare Technologies GmbH, Danaher Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Epic Sciences, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, GE Corporation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Illumina, Inc. Intomics A/S, and Johnson & Johnson Company, Konica Minolta, Inc.

Within the research report, the market is segmented on the basis of product type, ecosystem application, and region, which highlight value propositions and business models useful for industry leaders and stakeholders. The research also comprises country-level analysis, go-to-market strategies of leading players, future opportunities, among others, to detail the scope and provide 360-degree coverage of the domain.

Competitive Landscape Major players, such as Abbott Laboratories, Almac Group Ltd, Amgen Inc., ANGLE plc, Astellas Pharma Inc, Astra Zeneca PLC, ASURAGEN INC., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., bioMrieux SA., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Cardiff Oncology, CETICS Healthcare Technologies GmbH, Danaher Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Epic Sciences, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, GE Corporation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Illumina, Inc., Intomics A/S, Johnson & Johnson Company, Konica Minolta, Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America MDx Health, Inc., Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Myriad Genetics, Inc., Novartis AG., Oracle Corporation, Partek, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Quest Diagnostics Inc., Randox Laboratories Ltd., Sanofi SA, Sysmex Corporation, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. including among others, led the number of key developments witnessed by the market. On the basis of region, North America is expected to retain a leading position throughout the forecast period 2020-2030, followed by Europe. Countries Covered North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany France Spain U.K. Italy Rest-of-Europe Asia-Pacific Japan China India Australia Rest-of-Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC) Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest-of-Latin America (RoLA) Rest-of-the-World Israel Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates South Africa RussiaRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05965013/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Originally posted here:
Global Precision Medicine Market: Focus on Ecosystem, Technology, Application, Country Data (21 Countries), and Competitive Landscape - Analysis and...

Photo credit: Cesar Carlevarino Aragon, via Unsplash.

Rocks dont care if they break. The very concepts of proofreading and repair imply accuracy for a purpose. In cells, complex multi-part machines find errors and fix them. Is this not evidence of intentionality and programming? As these new research papers show, the machines involved show exquisite craftsmanship and efficient action to keep other parts machines outside their own structural needs humming along.

How can they do that? How do they know? They bear an uncanny resemblance to surgeons or linemen that are trained as first responders to potentially catastrophic situations, and yet they work robotically in the dark without eyes or brains. Such things do not just appear by blind material processes. Proofreading and repair systems had to be operational from the beginning of life, because considering the lethal consequences without them, its hard to conceive of any primitive organism surviving, let alone progressing up an evolutionary ladder. Now, behold in wonder what is going on in our cells.

Before cells divide, billions of DNA base pairs must be precisely duplicated. About one time in 10 million, a wrong base is inserted into the copy. Researchers at North Carolina State University found genome guardians that stop and reel in DNA during this important operation. Two enzymes cooperate to proofread the copy. They halt the duplication when a mismatch is found until more machines can fix the error.

A pair of proteins known as MutS and MutL work together to initiate repair of these mismatches. MutS slides along the newly created side of the DNA strand after its replicated, proofreading it. When it finds a mismatch, it locks into place at the site of the error and recruits MutL to come and join it. MutL marks the newly formed DNA strand as defective and signals a different protein to gobble up the portion of the DNA containing the error. Then the nucleotide matching starts over, filling the gap again. The entire process reduces replication errors around a thousand-fold, serving as one of our bodys best defenses against genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. [Emphasis added.]

Well, is that not a tragedy for Darwin? Evolutionists need those mutations to build eyes and wings!

When cells divide, double-stranded breaks can occur. These are particularly dangerous, often associated with cancer. Medical researchers at University of Texas Health in San Antonio confirm that DNA repair requires multiple tools. Drs. Daley, Sung, and Burma at UT knew that the repair operation, called homologous recombination, is done by resection enzymes, but they were curious why so many different enzymes were involved. Why does the cell need three or four different enzymes that seem to accomplish the same task in repairing double-strand breaks? The perceived redundancy, they concluded, is really a very nave notion. Like a skilled workman, the cell maintains An array of tools, each one finely tuned.

Its like an engine mechanic who has a set of tools at his disposal, Dr. Sung said. The tool he uses depends on the issue that needs to be repaired. In like fashion, each DNA repair tool in our cells is designed to repair a distinctive type of break in our DNA.

Another type of error can occur when a gene is being transcribed. If RNA polymerase (RNAP, the transcribing machine) hits a lesion caused by UV radiation or some other mutagen, the transcription can stall. Thankfully, there is a programmed response called transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) that knows what to do. Thats a good thing, because faulty repair can lead to the severe neurological disorder Cockayne syndrome, characterized by microcephaly, delayed development, short stature, low weight gain, and numerous other problems like oversensitivity to sunlight, hearing loss, vision loss, severe tooth decay, bone abnormalities, hands and feet that are cold all the time, and changes in the brain that can be seen on brain scans (Genetics Home Reference).

Four researchers from Washington University, publishing in PNAS1, learned more about the poorly understood process of TC-NER, and revealed a plethora of molecular machines and factors involved. The initiation of TC-NER upon RNAP stalling requires specific factors, they begin. These factors respond rapidly to transcription-blocking DNA damage, binding to stalled RNAP to coordinate assembly of downstream NER factors. Moreover, the repair program must be able to handle a variety of situations. The technical details are too inscrutable for most readers to describe here (and this was about research on yeast!); suffice it to say that TC-NER is a well-choreographed, irreducibly complex process that, fortunately, works most of the time. Children with Type 2 Cockayne Syndrome may only live up to age 7 (NIH).

The cell has mechanisms for preventing errors, too. Research at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City has unraveled for the first time the three-dimensional structure and mechanism of a complex enzyme that protects cells from constant DNA damage, opening the door to discovery of new therapeutics for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant cancers. They used cryo-electron microscopy to study DNA polymerase at a near-atomic level. This important enzymes architecture and mechanism have been a mystery to scientists for years. Could any primitive life-form get by without something like this?

DNA polymerase is the crucial enzyme that allows cells to battle the more than 100,000 DNA-damaging events that occur daily from normal metabolic activities and environmental intrusions like ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, and industrial carcinogens. The Mount Sinai team, which included first author Radhika Malik, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, learned how the enzyme protects the cells from natural and manmade environmental as well cellular stresses through an intricate structure of four different proteins that connect to each other in a pentameric, or daisy chain-like, configuration.

Didnt the Darwinians tell us that UV light and ionizing radiation were sources of the building blocks of life and the mutations that nature can select to build humans from bacteria? No way. These findings are published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology2.

DNA bases on opposite strands connect via hydrogen bonds, but sometimes a protein interloper makes a bogus connection. Covalent cross-links between proteins and DNA are among the most hazardous types of DNA damage, says the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. Fortunately (again), theres an app for that.

Chemical lesions in the genetic material DNA can have catastrophic consequences for cells, and even for the organism concerned. This explains why the efficient identification and rapid repair of DNA damage is vital for survival. DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs), which are formed when proteins are adventitiously attached to DNA, are particularly harmful. DPCs are removed by the action of a dedicated enzyme the protease SPRTN which cleaves the bond between the protein and the DNA.

DPCs can occur during natural metabolism or by contact with synthetic chemicals. SPRTN has a challenging job, they say, because it must be able to tackle a variety of situations; the enzyme has to be able to identify many different structures as aberrant. Its two domains must engage for it to recognize the error and fix it. Julian Stingele explains this fail-safe system:

One binds to double-stranded, and the other to single-stranded DNA. So the protein uses a modular system for substrate recognition. Only when both domains are engaged is the enzyme active and DNA in which double-stranded and single-stranded regions occur in close proximity is often found in the vicinity of crosslinks, says Stingele.

When this system isnt working properly, patients are subject to liver cancer and early aging.

We have just looked at five different types of errors that are repaired by five different systems of molecular machines. Each system must first recognize the error and then know what to do; otherwise, the consequences can be catastrophic. In each case, the machinery is well designed and finely tuned to solve the problem, and it does so rapidly and efficiently. That takes foresight, and foresight implies intelligent design. As Marcos Eberlin says in his book Foresight: How the Chemistry of Life Reveals Planning and Purpose, This act of anticipation foresight is not a characteristic of blind material processes. It is an act of intelligence, of a mind (p. 81).

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In Cells, Proofreading and Repair Testify to Intelligent Design and Foresight - Discovery Institute

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a global leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine, announced today that the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has exclusively included Myriads myChoice CDx test in its new recommendations on the use of PARP inhibitors for the treatment and management of certain patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The new recommendations, based on clinical trial results, were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The guideline, titled PARP Inhibitors in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Guideline, where myChoice CDx was the only named commercial companion diagnostic, states that women with ovarian cancer and germline or somatic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and/or genomic instability as determined by Myriad myChoice CDx are recommended by ASCO for PARP inhibitor therapy. The guideline includes myChoice CDx guided management in both newly diagnosed and recurrent ovarian cancer.

We are thrilled to be a part of the rapidly changing landscape in guiding treatment for patients with ovarian cancer. The new ASCO guidelines highlight the large number of recent studies that have gone into improving ovarian cancer patient outcomes, said Thomas Slavin, M.D., FACMG, DABCC, senior vice president of Medical Affairs for Myriad Oncology.

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. In the United States, it is estimated there will be 21,750 new cases diagnosed and around 13,940 deaths in 2020. A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about one in 78 and the chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about one in 108.

About Myriad myChoice CDx Myriad's myChoice CDx is the most comprehensive homologous recombination deficiency test, enabling physicians to identify patients with tumors that have lost the ability to repair double-stranded DNA breaks, resulting in increased susceptibility to DNA-damaging drugs such as platinum drugs or PARP inhibitors. The myChoice CDx test comprises tumor sequencing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and a composite of three proprietary technologies (loss of heterozygosity, telomeric allelic imbalance and large-scale state transitions). For more information, visit: https://myriad-oncology.com/mychoice-cdx/

About Myriad GeneticsMyriad Genetics Inc., is a leading personalized medicine company dedicated to being a trusted advisor transforming patient lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics. Myriad discovers and commercializes molecular diagnostic tests that: determine the risk of developing disease, accurately diagnose disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across six major medical specialties where molecular diagnostics can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. Myriad is focused on three strategic imperatives: transitioning and expanding its hereditary cancer testing markets, diversifying its product portfolio through the introduction of new products and increasing the revenue contribution from international markets. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BART, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, myPath, myRisk, Myriad myRisk, myRisk Hereditary Cancer, myChoice, myPlan, BRACAnalysis CDx, Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx, myChoice CDx, Vectra, Prequel, Foresight, GeneSight, riskScore and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G.

Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to the new ASCO guideline titled PARP Inhibitors in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Guideline and the Companys myChoice CDx testings place in such guideline; and the Companys strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics." These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainties associated with COVID-19, including its possible effects on our operations and the demand for our products and services; our ability to efficiently and flexibly manage our business amid uncertainties related to COVID-19; the risk that sales and profit margins of our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services may decline; risks related to our ability to transition from our existing product portfolio to our new tests, including unexpected costs and delays; risks related to decisions or changes in governmental or private insurers reimbursement levels for our tests or our ability to obtain reimbursement for our new tests at comparable levels to our existing tests; risks related to increased competition and the development of new competing tests and services; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and any future tests and services are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities and our healthcare clinic; risks related to public concern over genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we license or acquire; risks related to our projections about our business, results of operations and financial condition; risks related to the potential market opportunity for our products and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of our patents or other intellectual property; risks related to changes in intellectual property laws covering our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and patents or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decisions in Mayo Collab. Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc., 566 U.S. 66 (2012), Assn for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 576 (2013), and Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Intl, 573 U.S. 208 (2014); risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; the risk that we may be unable to comply with financial operating covenants under our credit or lending agreements; the risk that we will be unable to pay, when due, amounts due under our credit or lending agreements; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Media Contact:Jared Maxwell(801) 505-5027jmaxwell@myriad.com

Investor Contact:Scott Gleason(801) 584-1143sgleason@myriad.com

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American Society of Clinical Oncology Exclusively Cites myChoice CDx in New Recommendations for Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer - BioSpace

Scientists at the Broad Institute have discovered that it isnt enough just to test for mutations to find coronary artery disease, breast cancer or colorectal cancerinstead, its also critical to test for the many small changes across the genome to produce polygenic risk scores (PRS).

The findings are presented in a new study, published Aug. 20 in Nature Communications, and led by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and by San Francisco-based genetic testing company, Color.

Amit Khera, M.D., associate director of the Broad Institutes Program in Medical and Population Genetics and leader of a research group within the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author on the study, said he will soon begin offering patients testing based on the findings.

Khera is working with a team of geneticists and genetic counselors in the hospitals Preventive Genomics Clinic to offer a clinical test developed by Color that assesses both monogenic and polygenic risk for heart disease.

This research has real clinical implications for genome interpretation, Khera said. Weve found that the traditional approach of only looking for monogenic risk variants misses an important part of the picture. A persons polygenic risk also plays a crucial role in predicting the development of disease. I suspect that evaluating both will soon become standard in clinical practice.

For the study, researchers focused on breast cancer, coronary artery disease, and colorectal cancer because each disease is associated with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a tier 1 genomic condition, meaning there are specific genetic mutations associated with higher risk for developing the condition, according to researchers.

The relationship between the mutations that cause these three genomic conditions and the risk of developing each disease is relatively well understood, authors of the study said. But until now, few researchers have investigated how the interplay between these monogenic variants and someones polygenic risk affects the likelihood of developing disease.

For the study, researchers reviewed genetic information from 80,928 individuals who either participated in case-controlled Color or U.K. Biobank studies, to find the presence of monogenic variants and a patients polygenic risk. The risk score was determined to significantly affect the likelihood of developing a disease associated with a tier 1 genomic condition.

Think about a monogenic variant as a brick, said Julian Homburger, a Color data scientist and co-first author of the paper. A polygenic risk score, then, is like stacking sheets of paper. You can still get to the same sizein this case, the likelihood of developing a diseaseits just a different mechanism. And, what we show is that if you have both of these, they stack on top of each other and contribute to an even greater risk.

Alicia Zhou, CSO at Color and co-author of the paper said the next logical step after testing patients is to monitor them closely, with earlier and more frequent screening. The current approach to screening for genomic conditions is fairly crude, she said. With better information about the risk of genomic diseases, we can refine screening and treatment for people, and hopefully improve patient outcomes.

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New Study from the Broad Finds PRS is Critical Component to Predicting a Range of Diseases - Clinical OMICs News

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) today announced that Ted W. Love, M.D., has been appointed to the companys Board of Directors. Dr. Love has more than 25 years of global experience in the healthcare and biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry and currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Blood Therapeutics.

We are pleased to welcome Ted to our Board of Directors given his distinguished industry expertise and leadership, said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. His extensive experience will be a valued addition at this transformational time for our company, with three marketed products, significant development across our pipeline and an expanding global footprint. We look forward to working with Ted on our quest to improve the lives of people with cancer through innovative medicines that address unmet medical needs.

Concurrent with the appointment of Dr. Love, Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., has resigned from the companys Board of Directors. Dr. Akkaraju has served as a Director since 2003.

I want to thank Srini for his incredible contributions over more than 17 years, added Dr. Siegall. He has played an instrumental role in building Seattle Genetics to the global, multi-product company that it is today.

Prior to Dr. Loves current role at Global Blood Therapeutics, he held executive positions at a number of biopharmaceutical companies including Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Nuvelo, Inc. and Theravance, Inc. Earlier in his career, Dr. Love held a number of senior management positions at Genentech, where he oversaw the development strategy and execution that led to the approvals of six innovative medicines. Dr. Love holds a B.A. in molecular biology from Haverford College and an M.D. from Yale Medical School. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He currently serves on the board of directors of Royalty Pharma and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and has served as a consultant in medicine in the Department of Cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

About Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetics, Inc. is a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes transformative cancer medicines to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) and PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) use the Companys industry-leading antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. ADCETRIS is approved in certain CD30-expressing lymphomas, and PADCEV is approved in certain metastatic urothelial cancers. TUKYSA (tucatinib), a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is approved in certain HER2-positive metastatic breast cancers. The company is headquartered in the Seattle, Washington area, with locations in California, Switzerland and the European Union. For more information on our robust pipeline, visit http://www.seattlegenetics.com and follow @SeattleGenetics on Twitter.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the extent of development across the companys pipeline, the expansion of its global footprint and its efforts to develop additional cancer medicines to address unmet medical needs. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the difficulty and uncertainty of pharmaceutical product development, the risk of adverse events or safety signals, the inability to show sufficient activity in clinical trials and the possibility of adverse regulatory actions as product candidates are evaluated in clinical trials even after promising results in preclinical research. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained under the caption Risk Factors included in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Seattle Genetics Appoints Ted W. Love, M.D., to Board of Directors - Business Wire

- Own developed SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB for COVID-19 uses real-time PCR (RT-PCR) technology on open PCR platforms, designed to provide results in approximately one hour

- 100% Sensitivity and 97.3% Specificity demonstrated in isolated RNA

- Inclusion of PCR-Compatible Universal Lysis Buffer (PULB) in the kit as a workflow option allows labs to circumvent the need for extraction equipment and reagents

GAITHERSBURG, Md., and HOLZGERLINGEN, Germany, Aug. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpGen, Inc., Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN, OpGen), a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease, announced today that its subsidiary Curetis GmbH has obtained the CE mark certification in the European Union for its own SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Developed and manufactured by Curetis team in Germany, the SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB uses real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology for qualitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus isolated from oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab specimens from individuals suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider or for screening of asymptomatic individuals. This kit can be used with RNA isolated by performing standard RNA isolation processes, as well as with oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs collected in PCR compatible viral transport medium treated with PCR-Compatible Universal Lysis Buffer (PULB) provided in the kit. Including PULB in the kit as a workflow option allows labs to circumvent the need for extraction equipment and extraction kits/reagents, thereby providing operational and workflow efficiencies, time and cost savings. The kit is designed to provide time to results in approximately one hour, and it runs on open real-time PCR instruments such as the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System and the Bio-Rad CFX96 Real-Time PCR Detection System.

The CE-IVD Marking is an important step in advancing our efforts to support critical COVID-19 testing; the Curetis SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB provides additional testing capacity in countries that recognize the CE Mark to test patients, said Johannes Bacher, COO of OpGen.

By launching this new product in Europe, we are committed to helping our distributors and customers to expand the availability of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing, and our own-developed CE-IVD marked SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB is expected to help increase availability of these much-needed tests," said Oliver Schacht, PhD, CEO of OpGen. Our customers will benefit from an optimized workflow and a test that delivers great performance and significantly shorter time-to-result at favorable economics compared to many of the commercially available open PCR platform COVID-19 tests including the BGI SARS-CoV-2 kit. Having access to our own SARS-CoV-2 kit allows us to have that product distributed rather than the BGI test kit which we will cease distributing effective immediately.

About OpGen, Inc.OpGen, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD, USA) is a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease. Along with subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH, we are developing and commercializing molecular microbiology solutions helping to guide clinicians with more rapid and actionable information about life threatening infections to improve patient outcomes, and decrease the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, or MDROs. OpGens product portfolio includes Unyvero, Acuitas AMR Gene Panel and Acuitas Lighthouse, and the ARES Technology Platform including ARESdb, using NGS technology and AI-powered bioinformatics solutions for antibiotic response prediction.

For more information, please visit http://www.opgen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements by OpGenThis press release includes statements regarding the commercial launch of a SARS-CoV-2 Kit by OpGens subsidiary, Curetis GmbH. These statements and other statements regarding OpGens SARS-CoV-2 test kits, their commercialization and launch, future plans and goals constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control, and which may cause results to differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully, timely and cost-effectively develop, seek and obtain regulatory clearance for and commercialize our product and services offerings, the rate of adoption of our products and services by hospitals and other healthcare providers, the success of our commercialization efforts, the impact of COVID-19 on the Companys operations, financial results, and commercialization efforts as well as on capital markets and general economic conditions, the realization of expected benefits of our business combination transaction with Curetis GmbH, the effect on our business of existing and new regulatory requirements, and other economic and competitive factors. For a discussion of the most significant risks and uncertainties associated with OpGen's business, please review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

OpGen Contact:Oliver SchachtCEOInvestorRelations@opgen.com

Press Contact:Matthew BretziusFischTank Marketing and PRmatt@fischtankpr.com

Investor Contact:Megan PaulEdison Groupmpaul@edisongroup.com

Source: OpGen, Inc.

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OpGen Announces CE-IVD Marking and Commercial Launch in Europe of its Own Developed Molecular Diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB for Detection of the...

Carrier screening marketis expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account toUSD 6.47 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 17.40% in the above-mentioned forecast period.

Access Sample Copy Of Carrier Screening Market @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-carrier-screening-market

Carrier Screening market research report gives precise idea about the current situation of the worldwide market, ongoing developments,joint endeavors, size, creation worth, mergers and acquisitions dependent on a few market elements. The report helps with deciding and enhancing each phase in the lifecycle of mechanical procedure that incorporates commitment, securing, maintenance, and adaptation. Additionally, the report offers propelled data and situation about the healthcare business which assists with standing separated in the opposition in this relentless business condition. Moreover, organizations can make out the reaction of the customers to a previously existing item in the market.

The major players covered in the carrier screening market report areF. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Abbott, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., BGI Group, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Illumina, Inc., QIAGEN, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Pathway Genomics, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Genomic Health, Inc., Admera Health, deCODE geneticsamong other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa(MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analystsunderstand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Key benefits of the report

The global Carrier screening market is also presented to the readers as a holistic snapshot of the competitive landscape within the given forecast period. The report also educates about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. The report also focuses on all the recent industry trends. It presents a comparative detailed analysis of the all regional and player segments, offering readers a better knowledge of where areas in which they can place their existing resources and gauging the priority of a particular region in order to boost their standing in the market.

Global Carrier Screening Market:Segmentation

Carrier screening market is segmented onthe basis of test type, disease type, medical condition, technology and end use. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyse meagre growth segments in the industries, and provide the users with valuable market overview and market insights to help them in making strategic decisions for identification of core market applications.

Based on test type, carrier screening market is segmented into molecular screening test, and biochemical screening test.

On the basis of disease type, thecarrier screening marketis segmented into cystic fibrosis, tay-sachs, gaucher disease, sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and other autosomal recessive genetic disorders.

On the basis of medical condition, the carrier screening market is segmented into pulmonary conditions, hematological conditions, neurological conditions, and others.

On the basis of technology, the carrier screening market is segmented into DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, microarrays, and others.

Carrier screening markethas also been segmented based onthe end use into hospitals, reference laboratories, physician offices & clinics, and others.

Table of Content:

Chapter 1: Carrier Screening market OverviewChapter 2: Carrier Screening market Economic ImpactChapter 3: Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4: Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2020-2027)Chapter 5: Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2020-2027)

Chapter 6: Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7: market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8: Carrier Screening Market by Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10: Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11: Carrier Screening Market Geographic AnalysesChapter 11.1: North AmericaChapter 11.2: EuropeChapter 11.3: Asia-PacificChapter 11.4: South AmericaChapter 12: Carrier Screening Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 13: Carrier Screening Market Forecast (2020-2027)Chapter 14: Related ReportsChapter 15: Appendix

Get Detailed Table Of[emailprotected]https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-carrier-screening-market

About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge Market Research provides appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. Get Customization and Discount on Report by emailing[emailprotected]. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

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Global Carrier Screening Market COVID-19 Impact Analysis 2020| Competitive Scenario And Dynamics By Myriad Genetics, Inc., Pathway Genomics, Siemens...

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN, Myriad or the Company), a global leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine, today announced the appointment ofPaul J. Diazas President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 13, 2020. He will also serve on the Companys Board of Directors. Mr. Diaz brings toMyriad Geneticsmore than three decades of executive leadership and business transformation experience in healthcare across a variety of healthcare segments.

Paul is an exceptional leader and executive with extraordinary passion, vision, experience, and operational skills, saidS. Louise Phanstiel, Chair of Myriads Board of Directors. His focus on building high performing teams, and instilling a culture that empowers people to deliver high quality patient care, distinctive customer service and innovation, will be important to supporting Myriads mission and growth. We are excited to have Paul assume the leadership of Myriad Genetics and chart the course to realize the Companys full potential. We look forward to officially introducing Paul during our fourth quarter earnings call. Myriad is dedicated to providing vital information to physicians, patients and their families that enables them to make better decisions about their health and treatment planning. Pauls personal dedication, throughout his career, to patients and their care will be critical in advancing Myriads vision of being a trusted advisor transforming patients lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics.

I am very excited to join the talented management team and Board of Directors of Myriad Genetics, an organization dedicated to helping patients and physicians identify the risk of developing disease and accurately diagnosing disease and disease progression, commented Paul. Our goal is to empower patients, as consumers, and their physicians and our payer partners with the information and data to help guide their treatment decisions, to improve clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs.I am equally excited about Myriads potential for innovation and growth.The Company has a tremendous opportunity to transform its business, and strategically position itself for sustainable, profitable growth. We will look to leverage the companys culture of innovation and revitalize our approach to the commercializing of its products and customer service levels.

Mr. Diaz served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director and Director of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. for over ten years, where he led the growth, revitalization and diversification of the business that positioned Kindred as the largest provider of post-acute health care services in the United States. Most recently, Mr. Diaz was a Partner at Cressey & Company LP, a private equity firm focusing on healthcare services and HCIT companies. Mr. Diaz is an experienced director and operating executive, having served as an executive and board member of multiple public and private companies. He currently serves on the board of DaVita, Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Mr. Diaz graduated from The American University with a B.S. in Business Administration and with a J.D. from The Georgetown University Law Center.

Heidrick & Struggles led the search process for Myriad.

About Myriad GeneticsMyriad Genetics Inc., is a leading personalized medicine company dedicated to being a trusted advisor transforming patient lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics. Myriad discovers and commercializes molecular diagnostic tests that: determine the risk of developing disease, accurately diagnose disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across six major medical specialties where molecular diagnostics can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. Myriad is focused on three strategic imperatives: transitioning and expanding its hereditary cancer testing markets, diversifying its product portfolio through the introduction of new products and increasing the revenue contribution from international markets. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BART, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, myPath, myRisk, Myriad myRisk, myRisk Hereditary Cancer, myChoice, myPlan, BRACAnalysis CDx, Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx, myChoice CDx, Vectra, Prequel, Foresight, GeneSight, riskScore and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G.

Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to realizing the Companys full potential; officially introducing Paul during the Companys fourth quarter earnings call; advancing Myriads vision of being a trusted advisor transforming patients lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics; the Companys potential for innovation and growth; the Companys tremendous opportunity to transform its business, and strategically position itself for sustainable, profitable growth; and the Companys strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics." These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainties associated with COVID-19, including its possible effects on our operations and the demand for our products and services; our ability to efficiently and flexibly manage our business amid uncertainties related to COVID-19; the risk that sales and profit margins of our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services may decline; risks related to our ability to transition from our existing product portfolio to our new tests, including unexpected costs and delays; risks related to decisions or changes in governmental or private insurers reimbursement levels for our tests or our ability to obtain reimbursement for our new tests at comparable levels to our existing tests; risks related to increased competition and the development of new competing tests and services; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and any future tests and services are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities and our healthcare clinic; risks related to public concern over genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we license or acquire; risks related to our projections about our business, results of operations and financial condition; risks related to the potential market opportunity for our products and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of our patents or other intellectual property; risks related to changes in intellectual property laws covering our molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and patents or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decisions in Mayo Collab. Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc., 566 U.S. 66 (2012), Assn for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 576 (2013), and Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Intl, 573 U.S. 208 (2014); risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; the risk that we may be unable to comply with financial operating covenants under our credit or lending agreements; the risk that we will be unable to pay, when due, amounts due under our credit or lending agreements; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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Myriad Genetics Appoints Paul J. Diaz as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors - GlobeNewswire

MONCTON, New Brunswick--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organigram Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI) (TSX: OGI), the parent company of Organigram Inc. (the Company or Organigram), a leading licensed producer of cannabis, is pleased to announce it has partnered with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers(Shoppers) on Phase 2 of Shoppers Pilot Program powered by software partner TruTrace Technologies Inc. (CSE: TTT; OTCQB: TTTSF) (TruTrace).

The program is designed to genetically finger-print all participating cannabis products, tracking them throughout the supply chain, from genome to patient, in order to provide real-time information about the composition of each cannabis product used by Medical Cannabis by Shoppers customers.Organigram will provide cannabis products to Shoppers for use in the tracking program.

Standardized and validated testing of medical cannabis, ensuring consistent quality and efficacy, are critical to the products value as a viable treatment option. Likewise, product information such as strain composition and potency can help healthcare practitioners and patients make more informed and confident decisions about their medical cannabis treatment regimens.

Organigram is proud of our long-standing commitment to our medical cannabis community. From the development of innovative products to the support offered by our patient care team and programs, patients and their needs are at the heart of our medical cannabis business, says Greg Engel, CEO, Organigram. We also recognize how critical consistency is to patients and their healthcare providers so are pleased to partner with Shoppers, providing our products so that they can be followed from raw material to finished product, to offer them important, useable product insights.

Using Trutraces StrainSecure system, the program collects plant testing data and performs genomic verification in plant batches which are then registered in a blockchain-enabled database for intellectual property protection and strain validation. All information gathered from the plants, including their molecular and chemical makeup, can be tracked via the technology.

As jurisdictions around the world have begun to legalize and adopt cannabis as a medical treatment, there has been an influx ofnew breeders and growers and a profusion of new cannabis strains, each with a different representation of at least 500 known metabolites. Subtle changes in the chemical expression of various strains, whether by genetic structure or environmental conditions, may have significant clinical effects on the patients using this treatment option.With so many strains available, and with relatively limitedinformationon strain composition or genetic lineage and their relation to their chemical output, patients havelittleability to control what they aretaking over time.

In the absence of assigned drug identification numbers (DIN)for cannabis products, quantifying the genetics and metabolomics, as well as potency and equivalencies ofcannabis products is of interest to producers, distributors, shippers, government agencies, payers, clinicians and patients.

Maintaining an effective traceability ecosystem about these details throughout the supply chain is a component of providing consistent medicine, says Engel.

Using TruTrace technology, Shoppers has partnered with University Health Network in Toronto (UHN) to launch Medical Cannabis Real World Evidence (MCRWE), a new ground-breaking study on cannabis and health which will track outcomes with TruTrace validated product for the first time in history.

This novel observational study is targeting a minimum of 2,000 patients who will be followed over a 24-week period. Enrolled patients will have access to certain fully verified products on the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers platform, which have been tested for detailed cannabinoid and terpene profiles.More information about the study can be found here.

About Organigram Holdings Inc.

Organigram Holdings Inc. is a NASDAQ Global Select and TSX listed company whose wholly owned subsidiary, Organigram Inc., is a licensed producer of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in Canada.

Organigram is focused on producing high-quality, indoor-grown cannabis for patients and adult recreational consumers in Canada, as well as developing international business partnerships to extend the Company's global footprint. Organigram has also developed a portfolio of legal adult use recreational cannabis brands including The Edison Cannabis Company, AnkrOrganics and Trailblazer. Organigram's facilityis located inMoncton, New Brunswick and the Company is regulated by theCannabis Act and theCannabis Regulations(Canada).

This news release contains forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, estimates, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events, or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events, performance or achievements of Organigram to differ materially from current expectations or future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information include factors that change supply quantities; risks associated with international jurisdictions including regulatory risk; receipt of any required permits from Health Canada and other authorities; including general risks related to COVID-19 and risks as disclosed in the Companys most recent annual information form, managements discussion and analysis and other Company documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see http://www.sedar.com) and filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (see http://www.sec.gov). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Organigram Joins Medical Cannabis by Shoppers Inc. and TruTrace in Effort to Track Source and Genetics of Cannabis Used by Medical Patients - Business...

Photo Courtesy Jeff Fitlow

By Rishab Ramapriyan 8/18/20 9:18pm

On Tuesday, Will Rice College announced that the remainder of Orientation Week activities will be conducted fully online. The announcement came after a second Will Rice O-Week advisor tested positive for COVID-19 this morning.

According to the Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, this decision was not mandated by the Rice University administration, but rather reached locally by the Will Rice magisters and O-Week coordinator team. In their email to the Will Rice advising team and new student cohort, the coordinators said that this decision was made out of an abundance of caution.

We take this action to minimize the risk to your own health and to limit further spread of the virus, the coordinators wrote.

Advisors and new students living on-campus are restricted to their floors as mandated campus-wide, but they are still able to use outdoor spaces, according to Rahul Popat, the Will Rice College President. As long as students follow the guidelines set by the Culture of Care Agreement, they are free to exit their rooms.

Vice President of Administration Kevin Kirby, who chairs the Crisis Management Advisory Committee, said that Rices team of 17 contact tracers promptly responded to both Will Rice cases. Any individuals who met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for close contact (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) were quarantined and tested using a molecular test (polymerase chain reaction test). A few additional advisors who believed that they had been in contact with the COVID-19-positive students voluntarily quarantined themselves, according to Kirby. All of the quarantined students have tested negative and there have been no additional cases in the Will Rice community as of this morning.

New students and advisors had all received an antigen rapid test from CVS on move-in day, but antigen tests have a lower sensitivity and specificity than molecular tests. As such, all O-Week participants will undergo a follow-up molecular test by the end of this week. However, the entire Will Rice advising team and new student cohort will be tested via the molecular test either today or tomorrow as a precaution, according to Kirby. Results from Rices molecular tests, which are provided by Houston Methodist and Baylor Genetics, are returned within 48 hours, but Kirby said that the tests are often being returned in 24 hours.

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We'll go through the whole college and test everybody, Kirby said. We'll see if there are any [COVID-19 positive students] that have been missed or any new infections and sort of sweep through and get everybody today or tomorrow. And these tests are very accurate.

According to Kirby, there was an additional Will Rice advisor who tested positive for COVID-19, however this student had fully recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection and Student Health Services determined that they did not pose any risk for transmission, according to Kirby. The CDC notes this possibility in their guidance on discontinuing isolation measures.

Recovered persons can continue to shed detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory specimens for up to 3 months after illness onset, albeit at concentrations considerably lower than during illness, in ranges where replication-competent virus has not been reliably recovered and infectiousness is unlikely, the CDC writes. Studies have not found evidence that clinically recovered persons with persistence of viral RNA have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to others.

Following this guidance, Kirby said that this additional Will Rice advisor was not isolated, but continues to be monitored.

Kirby said that 833 new students were given rapid tests on Saturday and Sunday, and three students tested positive. Those who tested positive could either move in to Sid Richardson College, the designated isolation housing, or return home. No more than two students have occupied Sid Rich at any point thus far, Kirby noted.

Campuswide, there have been 4,595 tests administered between August 1 and August 17, and 11 people (3 staff, 7 undergraduates, 1 graduate student) have tested positive, based on a recent update from Crisis Management. Kirby said that Rice will be administering 4,500 tests per week by the first week of classes.

Gorman said that two restrictions have been added to the campuswide O-Week program as precautionary measures. First, all remaining cross-college events have been canceled for the week. Second, students will not be allowed to eat meals together in the college commons, and must eat meals in their dorm rooms or outdoors in a physically-distanced manner.

We're testing everybody this week, as we're doing every week, Gorman said. So we're going to know in the next couple of days whether we're seeing any more spread or whether it's just these two cases at Will Rice.

Gorman said that she hopes to remove the restriction on college commons dining after O-Week, but will decide after more test results are returned.

I think by the weekend after we've gone through and gotten the test results back on everybody on campus and we get a sense about where we're at, we will make a decision at that point, Gorman said. But in preparation, just in case, we are going to ramp up our outside furniture.

Kirby said that while the COVID-19 positivity rate is substantially lower on campus than in Houston, it is important to continue all safety precautions and adapt to changing conditions.

We have to be very careful and wary right about that and we need to not have a false sense of optimism here, Kirby said. That's why it's important that we continue to do all the safety precautions ... and we continue to do our testing rigorously and often. We're prepared to make changes like we already have. I'm sure we'll continue to make changes over the course of the fall semester.

[8/18/2020 at 11:15 p.m.] The story was updated with correct information about the movement of on-campus students. Will Rice President Rahul Popat clarified that on-campus students are not restricted to their rooms.

[8/18/2020 at 11:45 p.m.] The story was updated with information about an additional Will Rice advisor who tested positive for COVID-19, but was determined to not pose any risk for transmission.

[8/19/2020 at 3:10 p.m.] The story was updated with statistics from on-campus COVID-19 testing.

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Will Rice College O-Week moves online after two advisors test positive for COVID-19 - The Rice Thresher