Category Archives: Vaccines

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Complete protection of probiotics from destruction by stomach acid using Bac-in-a-Box technology

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SINGAPORE, 2020-Nov-30 — /EPR BIOTECH NEWS/ — Austrianova announced today that a key publication on the ability of its patented technology, Bac-in-a-Box®, to completely protect probiotics from acidic conditions found in the stomach has been published in the well respected journal “Microbial Cell Factories”
https://rdcu.be/cbn0O.

Stomach acid is nature’s way of ensuring that any microbes in food are killed before they reach the intestines. In the same way, stomach acid is also a formidable barrier to the delivery of beneficial bacteria and yeast such as probiotics to the gut, necessitating the current million times “overdosing” of such bacteria. Even then, only a tiny fraction of probiotics survive transit through the stomach. The currently available protections and coatings are only partially effective and still result in the loss of millions of bacteria and the search is still on for novel protective agents and technologies to improve on this.

The stringently reviewed data presented in Austrianova’s Microbial Cell Factories paper show that Bac-in-a-Box® protects living micro-organisms (including probiotics) from stomach acid and bile, enabling them to reach the intestine in a viable state, thereby resulting in a greater beneficial effect. It also allows the use of ten thousand times lower doses, contributing to cost effectivity. Thus, Bac-in-a-Box® is ideal for enhanced and effective delivery of probiotics as well as of oral living vaccines, and it can even be used for microbial fecal transplantation (FMT or bacteriotherapy) where it provides a more patient friendly and acceptable means of delivering stool microbiota.

Brian Salmons, CEO of Austrianova, said “We are pleased that our publication on acid protection of encapsulated microbes has been published in Microbial Cell Factories, an open access, peer-reviewed journal, published by Springer Nature, that is the world leading, primary research journal fully focusing on Applied Microbiology.”

Elaborating on the significance of the paper, Prof. Walter H. Gunzburg said “The gut microbiota in humans and animals plays a key role in health by aiding digestion as well as regulating the immune system and protecting against disease causing pathogens. In recent years, changes or imbalances in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) have been linked to many diseases as disparate as irritable bowel syndrome, dementia and diabetes, and evidence is
growing that restoring the balance of the microbiota by delivery of probiotic microorganisms can improve health. Orally delivered micro-organisms must survive transit through lethal, highly acid conditions in the stomach and current methods to protect probiotic microorganisms are still not effective enough. This paper reports that Austrianova’s proprietary encapsulation technology, Bac-in-a-Box®, protects members of the microbiota from stomach acid and bile. A number of probiotic strains were shown to survive low pH in vitro for at least 4 hours without appreciable loss in viability as compared to their respective non-encapsulated counterparts. Moreover, animal studies reveals that once the capsules arrive in the intestine (the site where they are needed to have beneficial effects), the probiotics are released and colonize the intestinal tract. Thus, Bac-in-a-Box® protects bacteria and yeasts from viability losses due to stomach acid, allowing the use of lower oral doses of probiotics and microbiota, whilst ensuring good intestinal delivery and release.”

About Austrianova
Austrianova, part of the SG Austria Group, is a biotech company with a global footprint and headquarters in Singapore. Austrianova utilizes a novel and proprietary technology for the encapsulation of living mammalian (Cell-in-a-Box®) and bacterial (Bac-in-a-Box®) cells. Cell-in-a-Box® protects the encapsulated cells from rejection by the immune system, allows cells to be easily transported, stored and implanted at specific sites in patients. The technology, which has been proven safe and efficacious in clinical trials carried out in Europe, allows companies to develop any kind of cells as a one-for-all living pharmaceutical. Bac-in-a-Box® is a similar protective device adapted for encapsulation of probiotic bacteria where it has human food and animal feed applications due to its ability to extend storage under lyophilized conditions and to protect encapsulated bacteria against destruction by stomach acid. Austrianova now also offers GMP4Cells that includes competitively priced Master Cell Bank and Working Cell Bank production as well as “Fill and Finish” services for cell therapy products (such as stem cell therapies, biologics produced from cells e.g. vaccines, antibodies, recombinant proteins etc).

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Combined Shigella and ETEC vaccine candidate enters Phase 1 clinical study with radically innovative approach

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VIENNA, 24-Sep-2020 — /EPR BIOTECH NEWS/ — Eveliqure Biotechnologies GmbH, an Austrian biotechnology company, today announces the initiation of clinical testing for its ShigETEC vaccine candidate, with the dosing of the first subject in a Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity study in Europe. ShigETEC is an orally administered vaccine candidate targeting Shigella and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), two of the major pathogens responsible for diarrhoeal diseases in travelers to endemic countries, as well as a major threat to children living in low- and middle- income countries.

Currently no effective vaccines against these two pathogens exist and previous attempts to develop vaccines against Shigella and ETEC have failed. Eveliqure has employed a radically innovative approach based on a live attenuated Shigella vaccine strain rationally designed to provide broad, serotype independent protection against both Shigella and ETEC, and is developing the vaccine for both travelers to endemic countries and for children living in resource-poor countries. Following this initial Phase 1 study run in Hungary, further clinical development of ShigETEC will include Phase 1 testing in non-endemic adults, immune characterization of vaccine responses, vaccine formulation studies and clinical testing of ShigETEC in the pediatric population in resource poor-countries. These activities are supported by the EU-funded SHIGETECVAX international consortium of world-leading vaccine organizations – the European Vaccine Initiative, Eveliqure Biotechnologies, University of Gothenburg, icddr,b and PATH.

“Entering clinical development with ShigETEC marks a major milestone for Eveliqure, culminating from our extensive preclinical work performed over the past five years” – commented Gábor Somogyi, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Eveliqure. “We believe that ShigETEC has the potential to reduce the burden of diarrhoeal diseases for travellers, while also saving hundreds of thousands of children in endemic areas of the world”.

“Initiating the Phase 1 study for ShigETEC in adult volunteers is a crucial step towards establishing safety and immunogenicity of our vaccine candidate, and will help us define a well-tolerated, and effective schedule of dosing for our planned Phase 2 human challenge studies”. – commented Frank Malinoski MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Eveliqure.

Compared to single pathogen approaches, ShigETEC has the potential to have a major impact on diarrheal diseases, protecting both travelers to the developing world and children in endemic populations.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

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International Symposium on the Accessibility to High-Value Medicine, December 5-6, 2017 in London

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LONDON, Dec-3-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — On December 5-6, 2017, 200 high-level experts from government, academia, biopharmaceutical developers and patient organisations convene in London (UK) to address the mounting challenge of accessibility and patient access to high-value, high-cost medical therapies.

The not-for-profit executive forum is organised by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and analytica|LASER, a global research consultancy, to investigate topical questions around drug policy, global health systems sustainability and innovation funding through a combination of case studies, panel sessions, and roundtables. Delegations are registered from over 70 public and private organisations, including the World Health Organization, as well as health systems representatives from Belgium, England, Estonia, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United States and Wales. Multiple patient organisations support the meeting to ensure that the patient voice is reflected in all deliberations.

“Access to life-saving drugs is not a new challenge. The paradigm of accessibility was changed completely in the face of the deadly HIV epidemic. This time, however, accessibility concerns almost every domain of medicine such as cancer, auto-immune diseases and rare diseases. We must act now,” says Prof Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and former head of UNAIDS.

“There is an incredible challenge for the sustainability of health systems across the world”, says Prof. Lucien Abenhaim, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Chairman of Analytica Laser. “It is critical that drug developers and health system engage on actionable proposals that address concerns around value, cost and overall access to innovation for the patients who need it. We are at an inflection point – the paradigms of the 1990’s can no longer guide us,” he adds.

Yann Le Cam, CEO of EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe, an alliance of over 700 rare disease patient organisations, commented, “The majority of people living with a rare disease have delayed or no access to the medicine they need. Only through a collective engagement between all stakeholders involved, including industry, competent authorities, health ministries, academics and regulators, can we break the access deadlock.” Le Cam will be presenting a new four-pillar approach to improve access to rare disease therapies in Europe.

The main plenary on December 6th features scheduled remarks by over a dozen authorities in the field, including Professor Baron Peter Piot (Director, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and former Head, UNAIDS), Dr. Olivier Brandicourt (Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi), Dr. Sarah Garner (World Health Organization), Prof. Dominique Le Guludec (President, French HAS), Sir Andrew Dillon (Chief Executive, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence UK) and Dr. Harold Paz (Chief Medical Officer, Aetna). The plenary is preceded by a scientific seminar on December 5th which gathers globally renowned academics to explore new frontiers on the methodology for the appraisal and valuation of high-value medicines.

Please contact the organisers for more information on the programming and media access, or refer to www.accessibility-symposium.org

SOURCE: EuropaWire

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Austrianova expands its business area

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SINGAPORE, January 26, 2016 — /EPR BIOTECH NEWS/ — Austrianova announced today that, having completed the set up of austrianova logoits new GMP facility, it is now offering clients a GMP cell banking (Master Cell Bank and Working Cell Bank) as well as a “Fill and Finish” service for cell therapy products, in addition to its encapsulation services and technology. Austrianova is able to offer the production of Master Cell and Working Cell Banks (MCB and WCB) at the size scale required for early (phase 1 and 2) stage clinical trials at highly competitive prices using its state of the art isolator based production facility, assuring that the highest quality standards are adhered to. The company can also fill bulk cell product into syringes or vials in its GMP facility. This new cell banking and filling service is called GMP4Cells. MCB’s and WCB’s are required for all cell therapy products such as stem cell therapies as well as biologics produced from cells such as vaccines, antibodies, recombinant proteins etc. Similarly, many companies, including those developing stem cell lines and products, are seeking high quality economic fill and finish for relative small lots.

“We see this as a natural add-on to our already established Cell-in-a-Box® cell encapsulation technology for which we have recently set up a GMP manufacturing facility in Thailand. This kind of MCB and WCB production as well as “Fill and Finish” services for cells are, however, stand alone services. Although these services are generally available to all customers, they should allow start up companies and academic based cell products, vaccines etc to enter clinical trials in a quality assured manner but at lower cost that other, more conventional, cell banking companies offer” stated Walter H. Gunzburg, Chairman and CTO of Austrianova.

“In addition to our state of the art facility, Austrianova offers services that comply with major international regulatory agencies using a customized German/Swiss based quality assurance system. Our team has many years experience with regulatory agencies around the world and has taken cell therapies into clinical trials” said Brian Salmons, CEO.

More information about the GMP4Cells cell banking but also the Cell-in-a-Box® and the related Bac-in-a-Box® encapsulation services can be found on our newly revamped website www.austrianova.com.

About Austrianova:
Austrianova, part of the SG Austria Group, is a biotech company with a global footprint and headquarters in Singapore. Austrianova utilizes a novel and proprietary technology for the encapsulation of living mammalian (Cell-in-a-Box®) and bacterial (Bac-in-a-Box®) cells. Cell-in-a-Box® protects the encapsulated cells from rejection by the immune system, allows cells to be easily transported, stored and implanted at specific sites in patients. The technology, which has been proven safe and efficacious in clinical trials carried out in Europe, allows companies to develop any kind of cells as a one-for-all living pharmaceutical. Bac-in-a-Box® is a similar protective device adapted for encapsulation of probiotic bacteria where it has human food and animal feed applications due to its ability for extending storage under lyophilized conditions and protection in stomach acid.

Austrianova Singapore Pte Ltd,
#05-19 Synapse,
3 Biopolis Drive,
Singapore 138623
Tel +65 6779 3867
Fax: +65 6268 4671

Austrianova Thailand Co., Ltd,
141 INC2 Building D, Room 401-404
Thailand Science Park,
Paholyothin Road, Klong 1,
Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120,
Thailand

www.austrianova.com

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Sichuan Agricultural University and LC Sciences Uncover the Epigenetics of Obesity

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In a new study published online in Nature Communications, researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University and LC Sciences report the miRNAome in porcine adipose and muscle tissues. The report provides a valuable epigenomic source for obesity prediction and prevention and furthers the development of pig as a model organism for human obesity research1.

Scientists now know that the genetic code alone isn’t responsible for adult phenotype or even the offspring of these adults. Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression affecting phenotype that don’t involve changes to the DNA nucleotide sequence itself, and yet are heritable. DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA (miRNA) expression are examples of epigenetic mechanisms that have recently been identified as important regulators of gene expression in many biological systems.

Obesity is a huge problem worldwide. Recently, the World Health Organization reported that obesity levels doubled in every region of the world between 1980 and 2008, spurring rates of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer that now account for almost two out of three deaths globally. It has become evident that epigenetic factors, such as D N A methylation and miRNA expression, have essential roles in obesity development.

Now, a team led by Researchers at the Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Sichuan Agricultural University, China has used a pig model to investigate the systematic association between epigenetic regulators and obesity. Pigs are an excellent model system to study obesity due to their similar physiology to ours including: metabolic features, cardiovascular systems, and propor­tional organ sizes . The researchers generated a genome-wide D N A methylation map as well as miRNA expression and gene expression maps for adipose and muscle tissues from three pig breeds living within comparable environments but displaying distinct fat levels.

The miRNA expression portion of this project was supported by team members from LC Sciences’ Hangzhou, China lab. LC Sciences is a specialist in miRNA sequencing and expression profiling and has previously collaborated with the group from Sichuan Agricultural University. In 2010 they performed a comprehensive search for porcine miRNAs that extended the repertoire of pig miRNAome to 777 unique miRNAs and enabled an atlas of miRNA regulation functions and networks to be constructed which has laid the groundwork for future miRNA studies in pig models2. Additional collaborations with the group include investigations of miRNA expression in porcine gonads3 and human breast milk4. LC Sciences has worked with other agricultural groups in China as well, including: Huazhong5, Yangzhou & Nanjing6 Universities on their porcine miRNA studies.

In the current study, numerous miRNAs having known or potential roles in obesity were identified. Additionally, the researchers found a differentially methylated region in males compared with females. This region is located in the promoter of a miRNA cluster that includes adjacent miR-99b, let-7e and miR-125a. Although no previous evidence exists for a direct relationship of these three miRNAs to obesity, the key functions and targets of these miRNAs potentially contribute to sexual differences in obesity development.

Dr. Qiulei Lang, Head of LC Sciences operations in Asia commented, ”miRNA has been a focus of LC Sciences’ since 2005. Back then we realized its importance and so have tailored our capabilities to support agricultural customers worldwide in their miRNA research. A proprietary RNA-Seq data analysis pipeline that was developed by LC Sciences enabled us to make sense of the tremendous amount of small RNA sequencing data that we generated in this study.”

That data analysis shows global epigenetic similarity and difference among breeds, sexes and anatomic locations. The epigenetically regulated regions in promoters are highly associated with obesity development via expression repression of both known obesity-related genes and novel genes. This comprehensive map provides a solid basis for exploring epigenetic mechanisms of obesity.

Dr. Mingzhou Li from Sichuan Agricultural University , said, “The domestic pig is of enormous agricultural significance and provides valuable models for human obesity research. Recently, epige­netic factors, especially DNA methylation and miRNA regulation have gained a greater appreciation as an alternative perspective on the aetiology of complex diseases. Although little is known about the transcription start site of primary miRNA transcripts, our results suggested that DNA methylation in 5′ upstream of stem-loop precursor could have a role in transcriptional silencing of mature miRNA. ”

In the modern industry, pigs have undergone strong genetic selection in the relatively inbred commercial lines for lean meat production, or in some cases, for adipose production, which has led to remarkable phenotypic changes and genetic adaptation, making these breed lines a perfect model for comparative studies.

Principal Investigator Ruiqiang Li from Peking University, said, “This work will serve as a valuable resource for future functional validation, promoting further development of pig as a model organism for human obesity research, as well as maximizing the economic benefits in producing high quality pork.”

About Sichuan Agricultural University - Sichuan Agricultural University (S IC AU) is a university located in Ya’an city, Sichuan province, China and part of the “Project 211”, specialized in biotechnology and agricultural sciences, and as well as offering degrees in physical science, engineering, economics, management, veterinary medicine, liberal arts, pedagogy and law. For more information, please visit www.sicau.edu.cn.

About LC Sciences – LC Sciences is a leader in miRNA discovery and profiling offering flexible services and delivering high quality results based on our innovative µParaflo® custom microarray platform and the latest next-gen sequencing technologies. We have developed complementary bioinformatics tools necessary for extracting biological and functional information from large microRNA and miRNAome data sets. LC Sciences provides microfluidic made-to-order microarrays and delivers the most up-to-date genomics application tools for advancement in basic science and applied biomedical fields. For more information, please visit www.lcsciences.com.

    1. Li, M. et al. (2012) An atlas of DNA methylomes in porcine adipose and muscle tissues. Nat Commun [Epub ahead of print]. [ abstract ]
    2. Li, M. et al. (2010) MicroRNAome of porcine pre- and postnatal development. PLoS One 5, e11541. [ article ]
    3. Li, M. et al. (201 1 ) Repertoire of porcine microRNAs in adult ovary and testis by deep sequencing. Int J Biol Sci, 7(7), 1045-1055. [ abstract ]
    4. Zhou, Q. et al. (2012) Immune-related Immune-related microRNAs are abundant in breast milk exosomes. Int J Biol Sci, 8(1), 118-123. [ abstract ]
    5. Luo L. et al. (2010) Microarray-based approach identifies differentially expressed microRNAs in porcine sexually immature and mature testes. PLoS One 5(8), e11744. [ article ]
    6. Zhou B, Liu HL, Shi FX, Wang JY. (2010) MicroRNA expression profiles of porcine skeletal muscle. Anim Genet 41(5), 499-508. [ abstract ]

Via EPR Network
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Enabling microRNA Discoveries – 250th Peer-Reviewed Publication Made Possible By µparaflo Custom Microarray Technology

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LC Sciences, a life sciences company leading the development of innovative microRNA (miRNA) analysis and discovery technologies, announced today the publication of over 250 peer-reviewed studies using the company’s microarray service for analyzing miRNA expression profiles. These studies, by leading researchers in the field, represent significant steps toward realizing these small regulatory RNA’s potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

MiRNAs have proven to be an extremely important part of the gene expression regulation mechanism of a wide variety of cellular processes. This is evident in the amount of relevant findings by LC Sciences’ customers being translated into published reports and the diverse range of study areas that these publications encompass: cancer research, neuroscience, cardiovascular research, reproductive biology, plant science, microbiology, immunology and stem cell research. LC Sciences’ miRNA profiling service, powered by its µParaflo® custom microarray technology, provides quick, reliable, fully analyzed datasets enabling researchers to immediately move forward with groundbreaking research.

The miRNA field is still nascent, and it is advancing rapidly. The race to discovery has produced a continuous stream of new miRNA sequences as well as routine revisions of inaccurate or incomplete sequences. This fluidity has caused many microarrays with static content to fall away and has fueled reports of the wholesale replacement of microarrays by new methods such as RNA-Seq. But the nimble, customizable format of the µParaflo® array has given it staying power, not only by enabling it to keep current with all known miRNAs, but also by making use of data generated by RNA-Seq. These custom arrays have benefited from RNA-sequencing generating novel content that other arrays are unable to capture and take advantage of.

The 250th study, entitled “Wolbachia uses host microRNAs to manipulate host gene expression and facilitate colonization of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.” appeared in the May 31st issue of PNAS and was one of a group of articles published recently by LC Sciences’ customers describing microarray expression analysis of miRNAs recently discovered through RNA Sequencing.

Researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia studied the underlying mechanisms of host manipulation by a widespread endosymbiont. Using microarrays, they show that the miRNA profile of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is significantly altered by a life-shortening strain of W. pipientis bacteria. This is extremely important work as introduction of Wolbachia into mosquitoes has been proposed as a method for malaria control. They found that a host miRNA (aae-miR-2940) is induced after W. pipientis infection in both mosquitoes and cell lines.

This study illustrates the versatility of µParaflo® from a couple of perspectives. First, mosquito, an important though non-model species was the target of interest here and mosquito arrays, as well as arrays from any of the 153 species listed in the miRBase public sequence database, are readily available from LC Sciences. Second, custom content (novel miRNA sequences from an earlier sequencing study on the same species) was quickly integrated into the content of the insect array providing an even richer expression dataset. Though all the previously described, known insect miRNAs were also present on the arrays, several custom sequences were significantly differentially expressed in infected mosquitoes and a custom sequence turned out to be one that became a focus of the investigation. Dr. Sassan Asgari, lead researcher for the study, commented that microarrays “…provided an affordable approach to the study of differential expression of small RNAs and miRNAs in particular.”

Via EPR Network
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The Porcine microRNAome is Revealed

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Researchers from LC Sciences LLC and a collaboration of Universities1 have established a porcine microRNAome, a complete catalog of all microRNAs expressed in the species Sus scrofa2. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNA molecules known to control a wide array of cellular functions such as growth and development and whose dysregulation has been associated with disease. The findings of this study lay the groundwork for a greater understanding of the species through further mapping of tissue- and stage-specific miRNAs.

The domestic pig is an important species from various standpoints. First, it is a major protein source in the human diet world-wide. Additionally, its anatomy, physiology, and genome size are very similar to the human species, and there has been increasing molecular genetic evidence showing the comparability of human and pig, making it a suitable model system for human biology. Pigs are now model animals for biomedical research of cardiovascular, immunological, cancer, diabetes, and a range of other diseases. Finally, the pig has become an important source of organs and tissue for transplantation into humans.

Prior to this study, miRbase3, the primary public repository for miRNA sequence data, listed only 73 unique pig miRNAs, this out of a total of 10,883 database entries encompassing over 100 species. The number of miRNAs for pig was significantly lower than for other species with similar size genomes (such as Human with 894 miRNAs) suggesting the existence of far more pig miRNAs.

The researchers used advanced deep sequencing and developed bioinformatics technologies to analyze all the small RNA molecules that are transcribed from all the genes in the pig genome. After filtering, mapping, alignment and classification of all the reads, they had shown that the pig miRNAome has 777 unique miRNA sequences. The sequencing results will not only greatly enhance the utility of the pig microRNAome as the blueprint of advanced pathway network studies of miRNA and their target mRNAs, but also provide information on time-dependent variations of the microRNAome as to sequence lengths, counts, composition, genomic location, and the relative expression of conserved versus pig-specific miRNAs.

Via EPR Network
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LC Sciences Pairs Deep Sequencing with Customized Microarrays to Offer New Seq-Array Service for Discovery & Profiling Applications

LC Sciences today announced the launch of its new Seq-Array(SM) services designed to take full advantage of both the latest deep sequencing capabilities and the proven genomics tool – microarray. This combination of technologies advances microRNA research to the next level of depth and understanding that was not possible before with either of the technologies alone. LC Sciences has been a leading provider of microRNA discovery and profiling services since 2005.

LC Sciences Pairs Deep Sequencing with Customized Microarrays to Offer New Seq-Array Service for Discovery & Profiling Applications

microRNA is a young, dynamic field of study and though significant discoveries are being made every day, the very complex regulatory mechanisms of these small RNAs are still not fully understood. Continued advancement requires adaptable, even customizable research tools that can keep pace with the rapidly advancing research in this field. While deep sequencing yields results that broadly cover genome-wide miRNAs from samples of various origins, the relatively high cost and low throughput nature of sample handling, makes the systematic follow through of the sequencing discoveries for validation and/or profiling in a reproducible manner time consuming and expensive. Microarrays have achieved wide acceptance as the preferred tool to systematically profile and compare the gene expression of large numbers of samples rapidly, reproducibly, and cost effectively; however they are dependent on previously known sequence information. Seq-ArraySM is a combination of these technologies that maximizes the effectiveness of each method while overcoming the limitations of the other.

Seq-ArraySM for microRNA starts with exploratory small RNA deep sequencing of a single or mix of RNA samples to perform a broad search and generate a comprehensive atlas of all microRNAs within a given research study. Next, bioinformatics are employed to map the raw sequencing reads to a custom generated sequence database, classify and align all sequences and sequence variants, as well as to predict novel microRNAs. A custom SeqArrayâ„¢ microarray is designed based on the mapped novel microRNAs, the predicted novel microRNAs, and any previously described publicly available microRNA sequences. Finally, expression profiling of large numbers of samples on the custom array design together with additional bioinformatics work completes an efficient pathway to focused biological insights including: revealing regulatory target genes, defining gene expression pathways, and discovering biomarkers.

“We feel like this is a productive match of the two technologies,” says Dr. Christoph Eicken, Head of Technical Services at LC Sciences. “It’s something we have really already been doing for a while and thought it made sense to package together as a single service. Often times researchers come to us who are studying a non-typical species with very limited or no prior knowledge of microRNA sequences or function in their model system. By the end of the complete Seq-ArraySM project they have become the world authority on microRNA in their area of research. It’s been very exciting to be part of this.”

About microRNA – microRNAs are small non-protein-coding RNA molecules that function as negative regulators of gene expression by targeting specific mRNAs. This either inhibits translation or promotes mRNA degradation.

Via EPR Network
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LC Sciences First miRNA Microarray Service Provider to Offer Plant MicroRNA Database (PMRD) Probe Content

Taking full advantage of its flexible µParaflo® Biochip Technology, Houston based LC Sciences today announced immediate availability of probe content from the newly created Plant MicroRNA Database (PMRD) for their microRNA (miRNA) microarray customers . This announcement comes immediately following a publication in Nucleic Acids Researchintroducing the public database 1 . The PMRD integrates available plant miRNA data deposited in other public databases, gleaned from the recent literature, and data generated by the database organizers. It is freely available at http://bioinformatics.cau.edu.cn/PMRD.

LC Sciences miRNA microarrays make use of a microfluidics on-chip synthesis platform, termed µParaflo®, versus a traditional spotted array based on pre-synthesized oligonucleotides. This on-chip synthesis platform means made-to-order microarrays can be produced, delivering the most up-to-date research tools to researchers; in this case, the PMRD content.

In total, there are 8433 miRNAs collected from 121 plant species in PMRD, including model plants and major crops such as Arabidopsis, rice, wheat, soybean, maize, sorghum, barley, etc. For Arabidopsis, rice, poplar, soybean, cotton, medicago and maize, the possible target genes for each miRNA with a predicted interaction site are included in the database. This represents a significant increase in content vs plant miRNA microarrays based solely on the miRBase content.

The public miRBase sequence database 2 serves as the primary probe content for many commercially available miRNA profiling microarrays (http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/sequences/). Detection of miRNAs using a microarray offers the opportunity for genome-wide miRNA expression profiling by examining all known miRNA transcripts in a single experiment. However, in a rapidly evolving field such as miRNA research, it is important to have a flexible system that can keep up with all the newly discovered and predicted sequences. Pre-spotted glass slide arrays immediately go out of date whenever new miRNA database versions are released. LC Sciences’ microarrays ensure scientists have the most complete picture of miRNAs expressed in their experimental samples.

Via EPR Network
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Enabling microRNA Discoveries – LC Sciences Tops 100th Customer Publication

LC Sciences announced today the publication of the 100th peer-reviewed study by one of its customers using the company’s microarray service for analyzing microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and for discovery of novel small RNAs. These studies, by leading researchers in the field, contribute to a fast growing body of knowledge defining this recently discovered class of regulatory RNAs.

To date, miRNAs have proven to be extremely important part of the gene expression regulation mechanism. Expression profiling and functional studies conducted so far indicate that miRNAs participate in the regulation of almost every cellular process investigated and this is evident in the amount of relevant findings being translating into published reports.

The publications to date by LC Sciences’ customers span a diverse range of study areas, including cancer research, neuroscience, cardiovascular research, MicroRNA Publications reproductive biology, plant science, virology, stem cell research, immunology, and small RNA discovery. Their miRNA profiling service has provided a tool for many researchers to explore and examine a wide assortment of miRNA cellular networks and the resulting publications are often the first description of miRNA activity in these systems.

LC Sciences’ miRNA profiling service, powered by its µParaflo® microfluidic technology, provides quick, reliable, fully analyzed data enabling researchers to immediately move forward with innovative research, and publish their results faster. Microarray results require extensive validation prior to publication. The speed with which researchers using this miRNA profiling service have published their discoveries demonstrates the high-quality and reliability of these results.

The 100th study, entitled “MicroRNA-146a feedback inhibits RIG-I-dependent Type I IFN production in macrophages by targeting TRAF6, IRAK1, and IRAK2” appeared in the September issue of The Journal of Immunology and was one of a group of articles published recently by LC Sciences’ customers describing miRNA involvement in the immune system. Researchers at the National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, China studied the fine tuning effect that miRNA has on inflammatory response to viral infection and even propose a new mechanism for the evasion of innate immune control by viruses. MiRNA microarray data revealed, and real-time quantitative PCR confirmed, many up-regulated miRNAs in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infected mouse macrophages. Specifically miR-146a expression was significantly up-regulated. Further studies revealed that miR-146a negatively regulated VSV-triggered interferon production (which is necessary to exert feedback control over inflammation) promoting VSV replication in macrophages. The identification of miRNAs and a better understanding of their expression in response to various stimuli/pathogens may reveal that miRNAs offer multiple new therapeutic targets/strategies for fine tuning the immune response to treat and prevent of a number of inflammatory diseases.

“We are very excited about the announcement of the 100th peer-viewed publication by one of our customers,” says Chris Hebel, VP of Business Development at LC Sciences. “MiRNA has become a very hot area of research and many scientists would like to be the first to describe the mechanism of miRNA as it relates to their field of study. We are happy to provide a first look into this exciting new field for them and are proud that our technology has been a part of such groundbreaking work”.

About µParaflo® Technology – The µParaflo® technology is a microfluidic platform for in situ parallel synthesis of biomolecular chips and miniaturization of bioassays including binding and enzymatic reactions. This unique platform technology is based on a new class of three-dimensional pico-liter microfluidic reaction devices, and a digital light controlled synthesis method that employs conventional oligonucleotide or peptide synthesis chemistry; a completely programmable process. The seamless integration of these multidisciplinary technologies enables a significant advance in parallelization, miniaturization, customization, and automation.

Via EPR Network
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LC Sciences’ Versatile Microfluidics Chip Technology Extended to Target Selection Applications

LC Sciences has announced the availability of a custom target enrichment service for next-generation sequencing applications. LC Sciences now provides a service for Target-Specific Selection of a defined genomic region (such as Mbp region at a specific location, suspected cancer regions, SNP regions, regions for genomic comparisons) or RNA sequences (such as sets of transcriptome sequences known f r o m previous screening experiments, mRNAs, and miRNAs). This new service enables researchers to take full advantage of new “next-generation” high throughput sequencing technologies.

It is clear that these new sequencing technologies can be more effectively utilized for systematic studies of genetic variation by targeting certain specific regions (subsets) of complex genomes. Essentially, our service achieves more coverage and deeper sequencing by reducing sample complexity and focusing reads on the areas of interest.

LC Sciences µParaflo® technology’s unique combination of advanced microfluidics and innovative synthesis chemistry provides a robust synthesis process which is necessary to achieve high quality selection and the flexibility to handle almost any target selection project. This technology has been used to produce custom sequence microarrays [Nucleic Acids Res. 2004,32,5409] and custom designed oligonucleotide mixture libraries (OligoMix®) [Nature. 2004,432,1050] since 2003 and is now particularly well suited to providing target selection solutions. The versatility of the technology makes it a good fit for the diverse needs of researchers embarking on new high-throughput sequencing projects.

“It’s really the flexibility of the technology that sets it apart f r o m others”, says Dr. Christoph Eicken, Head of Technical Services, Microarrays. “First, this is a completely custom synthesis technology, meaning almost any selected genomic region of any species and all known RNA transcripts can be targeted. Second, target selection may be achieved by hybridization using complementary capture probes immobilized on surface or by in-solution hybridization. By altering the target selection approach we take, we can address the widely varied needs of each individual sequencing project. With our help, researchers can tailor design the target selection process based on the specificity, coverage, selection resolution and throughput requirements of their particular project.”

LC Sciences’ microarray based approach utilizes thousands of custom oligonucleotide sequences which are synthesized in situ on a programmable high density microfluidics chip as capture probes designed to target specific regions of interest in any genome (or transcriptome). Samples are hybridized to the chip, undesired sequences are washed off and the captured target sequences are recovered by eluting them f r o m the chip. The selected target sequences are ready for high-throughput sequencing or further processing.

When target selection in-solution makes sense, this flexible chemistry can directly synthesize biotinylated or phosphorylated oligonucleotides (capture probes) that are designed to target specific genomic/sequence regions of interest. After hybridization with a sample, magnetic beads are added and the capture probes are affinity linked to the beads. The captured target sequences are separated f r o m other sequences by washing the beads after which the target sequences can be recovered. Alternatively, the oligonucleotides (OligoMix®) may be immobilized on beads prior to target selection, again depending on the needs of the particular project.

LC Sciences currently offers its Target-Specific Selection application as a service, as it has successfully done with other applications of the µParaflo® technology such as miRNA profiling, small RNA discovery, kinase profiling and epitope mapping with peptide arrays, and others.

“We find that researchers would prefer to spend their valuable time focusing on their research, not figuring out how to make successful use of someone else’s new technology”, says Chris Hebel, Director of Business Development. “We offer a comprehensive solution: customers tell us their experiment goals, send us their samples and we provide the material ready for sequencing. There is no reason they need to become target selection experts to keep their research moving forward. We have already developed methods to design optimized hybridization probes and suitable experimental procedures and conditions for different sample types, such as miRNA, small RNA, or genomic DNA samples, on different sequencing platforms. We can even perform the high-throughput sequencing and deliver the results, as not all labs have access to next-generation sequencers yet.”

More information about LC Sciences’ Targeted Sequencing Sample Enrichment Service and the µParaflo® technology is available at:http://www.lcsciences.com/targeted_sequencing.html.

About LC Sciences – LC Sciences is a genomics and proteomics products company offering a comprehensive line of DNA, RNA, and peptide microarrays for nucleic acid/protein profiling and functional analysis, biomarker-discovery, novel drug screening, and the custom development of miniaturized assay devices for diagnostics and biosensing applications. Based on the µParaflo® microfluidics technology, LC Sciences’ innovative products and services offer significant flexibility and customization capability for rapidly evolving, diverse customer needs. In an era of rapid technological advancement, LC Sciences offers service products which enable efficient one-stop solution for assays of DNA, RNA, protein, enzymes, antibodies, or small molecules. LC Sciences also provides unique synthetic DNA and RNA products such as OligoMix®, generated using their microfluidic biochip synthesizer. These innovative products drive synthetic biology, systems biology and sequencing applications by reducing the cost and increasing the speed of highly multiplexing large-scale nucleic acid and protein engineering experiments.

More information about LC Sciences is available at www.lcsciences.com.

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