Category Archives: Molecular Genetics

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AVEO Oncology (Nasdaq: AVEO) today announced the appointment of David Crist as Vice President of Sales. In this role, Mr. Crist will be responsible for building out AVEOs sales force in anticipation of the potential approval and launch of tivozanib, the Companys next-generation vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI), as a treatment for relapsed or refractory renal cell carcinoma.

We are excited to welcome David to the AVEO team as we continue to prepare for the potential commercial launch of tivozanib in the U.S., said Mike Ferraresso, senior vice president, business analytics and commercial operations of AVEO. Davids proven track record of success and deep experience with the launch and growth of new oncology therapies will play an important role in the success of our commercial strategy and team. Our commercial team and I look forward to working closely with him throughout this process.

I am pleased to join AVEO during this transformational period for the Company, as it prepares for the potential launch of tivozanib in the U.S., said Mr. Crist. I believe that tivozanib has the potential to be an important new treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory renal cell carcinoma with what would be the first evidence-based roadmap for treatment decisions in the third-plus-line setting, including for patients receiving earlier-line immunotherapy. I look forward to working alongside this talented team as AVEO moves toward the potential commercialization of tivozanib in the U.S.

Mr. Crist brings more than twenty years of oncology sales experience in both launch-stage and late-stage companies, building commercial organizations and developing high performing sales force teams. During his career, Mr. Crist held oncology-focused sales roles at several leading pharmaceutical companies including MGI (Molecular Genetics, Inc), Eisai, Sanofi Genzyme, GlaxoSmithKline and ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, where he led their sales organization in the successful relaunch of ICLUSIG (ponatinib), which contributed to the acquisition of ARIAD by Takeda Oncology in 2017. Following the acquisition, he continued at Takeda to successfully launch ALUNBRIG (brigatinib), which exceeded launch year and subsequent year forecasts nationally. Directly prior to joining AVEO, Mr. Crist served as general manager, hematology oncology U.S. franchise at argenx, a global immunology company, where he led commercial development for two of the companys hematology and oncology compounds. Mr. Crist holds a B.S. from Florida State University.

About AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

AVEO is an oncology focused biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering medicines that provide a better life for cancer patients. AVEOs strategy is to focus its resources toward development and commercialization of its product candidates in North America, while leveraging partnerships to support development and commercialization in other geographies. AVEOs lead candidate, tivozanib is approved as FOTIVDA in the European Union and other countries in the EUSA territory for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. AVEO is working to develop and potentially commercialize tivozanib in the U.S. as a treatment for renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. AVEO has previously reported promising early clinical data on ficlatuzumab (anti-HGF mAb) in head and neck cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and pancreatic cancer and is conducting a randomized Phase 2 confirmatory clinical trial of ficlatuzumab in head and neck cancer. AVEOs earlier-stage pipeline includes several monoclonal antibodies in oncology development, including AV-203 (anti-ErbB3 mAb), AV-380 (anti-GDF15 mAb) and AV-353 (anti-Notch 3 mAb). AVEO is committed to creating an environment of diversity and inclusion as a foundation for innovation.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements of AVEO within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, believe, expect, hope, intend, may, plan, potential, could, should, would, seek, look forward, advance, goal, strategy, or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about: the potential for tivozanib as a treatment option for patients with advanced HCC or relapsed/refractory or advanced RCC; the potential efficacy, safety, and tolerability of tivozanib, both as a stand-alone drug candidate and in combination with immunotherapy; AVEOs execution of its clinical and regulatory strategy for tivozanib; AVEOs plans and strategies for current and future clinical trials of tivozanib, ficlatuzumab and AV-380 and for commercialization of tivozanib in the United States; and AVEOs strategy, prospects, plans and objectives for its product candidates and for the Company generally. AVEO has based its expectations and estimates on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these expectations and estimates. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that AVEO makes due to a number of important factors, including risks relating to: whether the results of TIVO-3 are sufficient to obtain marketing approval for tivozanib in the U.S., which turns on the ability of AVEO to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA the safety and efficacy of tivozanib based upon the findings of TIVO-3, including its data with respect to PFS, the rate of adverse events, OS and other information that the FDA may consider to be relevant to an approval determination; AVEOs ability, and the ability of its licensees, to demonstrate to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory agencies such as the FDA the safety, efficacy and clinically meaningful benefit of AVEOs product candidates, including, in particular, tivozanib and ficlatuzumab; and AVEOs ability to enter into and maintain its third party collaboration and license agreements, and its ability, and the ability of its strategic partners, to achieve development and commercialization objectives under these arrangements. AVEO faces other risks relating to its business as well, including risks relating to the timing and costs of seeking and obtaining regulatory approval; AVEOs and its collaborators ability to successfully enroll and complete clinical trials; AVEOs ability to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to its product candidates; AVEOs ability to obtain and maintain adequate protection for intellectual property rights relating to its product candidates; AVEOs ability to successfully implement its strategic plans, including its ability to successfully launch and commercialize tivozanib if it may be approved for commercialization by the FDA; AVEOs ability to raise the substantial additional funds required to achieve its goals, including those goals pertaining to the development and commercialization of tivozanib; unplanned capital requirements; AVEOs ability to access future borrowings under the Hercules loan facility, which turns on the achievement of milestones related to the approval and commercialization of tivozanib in the U.S., which milestones may not be achieved; adverse general economic and industry conditions; the potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on AVEOs business continuity, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and ability to successfully and timely enroll, complete and read-out data from its clinical trials; competitive factors; and those risks discussed in the sections titled Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsLiquidity and Capital Resources included in AVEOs quarterly and annual reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in other filings that AVEO makes with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent AVEOs views as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change. While AVEO may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing AVEO's views as of any date other than the date of this press release.

Any reference to AVEOs website address in this press release is intended to be an inactive textual reference only and not an active hyperlink.

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AVEO Oncology Announces Appointment of David W. Crist as Vice President of Sales - Business Wire

A new study led by scientists at IUPUI and Indiana University Bloomington is the first to describe a biochemical mechanism that increases the activity of a molecule whose presence is observed in many types of cancer.

The molecule, an enzyme called Pif1 helicase, plays a role in many important cellular processes in the body. Tightly regulating this protein is vital to genome stability because too little -- or too much -- activity can influence aging and age-related diseases, primarily cancer. A common cancer therapy, HDAC inhibitors, can also impact the mechanism that regulates this enzyme.

"We're currently giving people drugs that change the acetylation status of the cell without knowing how it affects many proteins that play a role in genome stability," said Lata Balakrishnan, an associate professor of biology in the School of Science at IUPUI, who is co-lead author on the study. "HDAC inhibitors upregulate certain tumor-suppression genes, and thus are used in combination therapies to treat specific cancers, but when it comes to their impact on other parts of the cell, we're basically operating in the dark."

The study's other lead author is Matthew Bochman, an associate professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. Other co-authors are Christopher Sausen and Onyekachi E. Ononye, Ph.D. students in Bochman's and Balakrishnan's labs, respectively, at the time of the study.

The effect of lysine acetylation on Pif1 is the mechanism described in the study. Lysine acetylation occurs when a small molecule called an acetyl group binds to lysine, an amino acid used to build common proteins in the body. This action transforms lysine from a positively charged molecule to a neutrally charged molecule. This neutralization can impact protein function, protein stability and protein-protein interaction in cells, among other things.

Helicases are known as the genetic "zippers" of cells because they pull apart DNA for the purpose of genetic replication and repair. They also help maintain telomeres, the structure at the end of chromosomes that shortens as people age.

In the new study, the researchers identified lysine acetylation on Pif1 helicase and showed the addition of the acetyl group increases the protein's activity -- as well as its "unzipping" function. They also found that lysine acetylation changes the shape -- or "conformation" -- of the Pif1 protein. They believe that this shape change increases the amount of Pif1 helicase.

"The dynamic interplay of the addition and removal of the acetyl group on lysine regulates a wide variety of proteins within the cell," Balakrishnan said. "Perturbations to this process can play a role in cancer, aging, inflammatory responses and even addiction-related behaviors."

"As a class, helicases are involved in a lot of processes necessary for genome integrity," Bochman added. "Any significant failure in these processes is generally carcinogenic."

The precise details of lysine acetylation in Pif1, its effect of the enzyme's shape and the resulting impact on helicase activity took nearly five years to observe and report. The study, carried out in parallel on two IU campuses, was made possible by the lead scientists' complementary expertise. As a biochemist who has previously studied lysine acetylation in other proteins, Balakrishnan was able to isolate Pif1 in vitro to observe its response to chemical reactions in a test tube. In contrast, as a geneticist working in yeast as a model organism to study Pif1, Bochman was able to modify cells in vivo to watch reactions play out in a living organism.

"The ability to observe these reactions in a living cell is often more relevant, but it's also a lot messier," Balakrishnan said. "Our experiments were constantly informing each other as to where to go next."

Looking to the future, Bochman said intricate knowledge of cellular processes -- such as lysine acetylation -- will increasingly play a role in personalized therapy.

"If you sequence a patient's tumor, you can fine-tune drugs to target very specific enzymes," he said. "Instead of a drug that broadly affects the whole cell, it will be possible to take a targeted approach that reduces potential side effects. This level of personalization is really the future of cancer biology and cancer medicine."

"Lysine Acetylation Regulates the Activity of Nuclear Pif1" is available online in advance of print in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. A perspective article on the work is also forthcoming in the journal Current Genetics.

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.

Indiana University's world-class researchers have driven innovation and creative initiatives that matter for 200 years. From curing testicular cancer to collaborating with NASA to search for life on Mars, IU has earned its reputation as a world-class research institution. Supported by $854 million last year from our partners, IU researchers are building collaborations and uncovering new solutions that improve lives in Indiana and around the globe.

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Study reports chemical mechanism that boosts enzyme observed in cancer - IU Newsroom

Healthy start: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and the midpoint of this latest busy week of socioeconomic innovation.

Before we get into it, Oct. 21 brings us National Check Your Meds Day, when were supposed to check the expiration dates on our older prescription meds, which is important. Go ahead, well wait.

Big day: This ones for you, Godzilla, and all your little lizard friends.

Scales: Welcome back. Saluting cold-blooded creatures from the Geico gecko to Godzilla, today is also National Reptile Awareness Day.

And fans of the chickpea, rejoice Oct. 21, of course, is National Garbanzo Bean Day.

Virtual vote-getter: We cant press the flesh or kiss any babies, not in the Age of Coronavirus, but wed sure be grateful if youd drop a vote (or 20) for us in Bethpage Federal Credit Unions 2021 Best of Long Island contest, where Innovate Long Island faces some stiff competition for the coveted title of Best Long Island Blog.

Polls are open through Dec. 15 and you can vote daily for your favorites not just us, but your favorite craft brewery and alternative energy company and the best of LIs best in dozens of other categories. Find us among the Arts & Entertainment entries, and thanks for your vote(s)!

Built to last: Still an active ship of state in the U.S. Navy, the USS Constitution the only active Navy vessel to have sunk another ship in combat first put to sea on Oct. 21, 1797.

Built to last 2: British inventor Joseph Aspdin earned a UK patent for Portland cement on this date in 1824.

Also patented on Oct. 21 was a unique method of detecting sensitive computer data published illegally by third-party websites, locked up one year ago today by the United Services Automobile Association.

On the beam: A human voice carried all the way across the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 21, 1915, when the first experimental transatlantic radiotelephone communication was made between a Virginia transmitter and a Paris antenna.

Google it: The Guggenheim opened 61 years ago today.

Spiraling upward: Designed by organic architecture legend Frank Lloyd Wright, New York Citys Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened on this date in 1959.

On the beam: A human voice carried all the way across the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 21, 1915, when the first experimental transatlantic radiotelephone communication was made between a Virginia transmitter and a Paris antenna.

And speaking of telephonic firsts, it was this date in 1977 when mobile phones became a thing at least, you could walk a few feet and still dial or hang up, thanks to inventor Henry Dreyfuss corded Trimline phone, which stuck the dial and switch hook into the handset and first graced shelves in Michigan 43 years ago today.

What a prize: Swedish businessman, chemist, engineer, inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) who famously invented dynamite, compiled 355 patents and otherwise left his mark would be 187 years old today.

Talk to the hand: Judge Judy Sheindlin, the longest-ruling arbiter of any TV court show, was born Oct. 21, 1942., in Brooklyn.

Also born on Oct. 21 were Italian mathematician Enrico Betti (1823-1892), topography pioneer and Betti numbers namesake; Canadian-American bacteriologist Oswald Avery (1877-1955), a DNA-focused innovator who laid the foundations for molecular genetics; American food scientist William Mitchell (1911-2004), who invented Pop Rocks, Cool Whip, Tang and other popular junk foods; trumpet virtuoso John Birks Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1933), who blessed American jazz with previously unexplored layers of harmonic complexity; and last surviving Honeymooners star Joyce Trixie Norton Randolph (born 1924).

You be the judge: And take a bow, Judith Susan Sheindlin the ex-prosecutor, former Manhattan family court judge, television producer and author known best as TV personality Judge Judy turns 78 today.

Honor her honor with a birthday wish at editor@innovateli.com, where it pleases the court to receive your story tips and we have no objections to your calendar items. We rest our case.

About our sponsor:New York Techs 90-plus profession-ready degree programs incorporate applied research, real-world case studies and professors who bring decades of industry knowledge and research into the classroom, where students and faculty work side-by-side researching cybersecurity, drone design, microchips, robotics, artificial intelligence, app development and more.Visit us.

BUT FIRST, THIS

The cupboard is full: The Grizzly Cupboard, part of New York Techs healthful Bear Bytes initiative, has been stocked by Stop & Shop.

Stop & Donate: Student food pantries operated by the New York Institute of Technology are swelling with wholesome foodstuffs donated by one of Long Islands most prominent supermarket chains.

Actually, the Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. has virtually stocked the shelves of the Grizzly Cupboard, a new pantry system on New York Techs Old Westbury and New York City campuses, with a generous donation of $10,000 in Stop & Shop gift cards, allowing the individual pantries to resupply as needed. The Grizzly Cupboard opened earlier this month as a free and confidential resource for students, offering healthy and nonperishable food items through New York Techs Bear Bytes initiative, which delivers students a bounty of wellness content.

Stop & Shop is also providing direct access to health and wellness products for distribution through the Bear Bytes effort. We are grateful to Stop & Shop for its partnership and sense of community, said Tiffani Blake, New York Tech assistant provost for student engagement and development. It will require a collaborative effort to help address the societal need and resolve the problem of food insecurity.

CRAFTy veterans: The East End Food Institute has resumed a popular apprenticeship program designed to expose tomorrows farmers to todays top agricultural tools and techniques.

The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training program, coordinated by the EEFI in partnership with several Long Island-based partners, resumed this month after a COVID-induced hiatus. Designed to create peer-to-peer educational opportunities, CRAFT offers guided tours and hands-on activities introducing apprentices including professionals from other types of farming operations to a variety of successful agricultural models seeing action across the East Ends vineyards, orchards, fish and shellfish hatcheries and other working farms.

With new normal precautions including limited attendance, mask requirements and social distancing in effect, the EEFI is hoping to hear from both apprentices and regional farmers interested in growing the CRAFT program. For more information, email heather@eastendfood.org.

TOP OF THE SITE

Peas in a pod: A Huntington-based marketing agency is reaching out to the media savvy including rival marketers with high-quality podcast productions.

Cognitive collaboration: A multidiscipline team of Stony Brook University scientists is tracking similar brain biomarkers found in 9/11 responders and Alzheimers patients.

Innovation in the Age of Coronavirus: Micro-clusters, haunted campgrounds and other horrors, all lurking in Long Islands one-and-only pandemic primer be afraid.

VOICES

Nonprofits anchor Jeffrey Reynolds taps some maternal instincts this week, offering smart solutions to the COVID-compounded professional childcare crisis, which is especially hard on moms.

STUFF WERE READING

One hand washes the central processor-enabled gripping claw: To get smarter and faster, AI will always need humans, and vice-versa. Forbes explains.

Best bet: Best Buy is partnering with multinational professional-services ace Accenture to diversify its internal tech and talent. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports.

Computer virus: COVID-19 has had some very specific effects on global tech industries. Business 2 Community counts them up.

RECENT FUNDINGS

+ Twentyeight Health, a New York City-based telemedicine company focused on womens sexual and reproductive health, raised $5.1 million in seed funding led by Third Prime, Town Hall Ventures, SteelSky Ventures, Agla Ventures, GingerBread Capital, Rucker Park Capital, Predictive VC and strategic angels including Stu Libby, Zoe Barry and Wan Li Zhu.

+ Solarea Bio, a Massachusetts-based biotech developing microbial healthcare solutions, raised $11.2 million in Series A financing led by S2G Ventures and Bold Capital Partners, with participation from Viking Global and Gisev Family Office.

+ Sonrai Security, a NYC-based public cloud-security company, secured $20 million in Series B funding led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from founding investor Polaris Partners and Series A lead investor Ten Eleven Ventures.

+ Ateios, an Indiana-based maker of a paper-thin customizable battery, raised $1.25 million in seed funding led by Good Growth Capital, Keshif Ventures, Techstars Ventures, Elevate Ventures, HG Ventures, Impact Assets and VisionTech Angels.

+ Fiveable, a Wisconsin-based online social learning company, secured $2.3 million in venture capital funding led by BBG Ventures, Metrodora Ventures, Deborah Quazzo, Spero Ventures, Matchstick Ventures, Cream City Venture Capital, 27V, Golden Angel Investors and SoGal.

+ Agility Robotics, an Oregon-based maker of legged robots, closed a $20 million funding round led by DCVC and Playground Global, TDK Ventures, MFV Partners, the Industrial Technology Investment Corp., Sony Innovation Fund and Safar Partners.

BELOW THE FOLD

Origin story: Not what you think.

Are you out of your gourd? The fairly unceremonious history of pumpkin beer.

Have you ever considered? How over-inquisitive leaders can easily derail innovation.

Any questions? You bet here are dozens of good ones for job candidates to ask during their interview.

Theyve got answers: Please continue supporting the amazing institutions that support Innovate LI, including the New York Institute of Technology, where some of the regions brightest educators, administrators and researchers already know what youre going to ask.

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No. 541: In which Cool Whip, garbanzo beans and Godzilla get their due, and podcasts take over - Innovate Long Island

Research teams from several University of Toronto departments have undertaken innovative projects to understand and combat Covid-19.

Earlier this month, Scott Gray-Owen, a molecular genetics professor at the Temerty faculty of medicine, received the Minister of College and Universities Awards of Excellence. Professor Gray-Owens research has significantly advanced the provinces reaction and management of Covid-19, making Ontario a safer place in these trying times.

Professor Gray-Owens research focuses on the interactions between human-restricted bacterial and viral pathogens. His contributions to Covid-19 research has been significant in determining the effectiveness of personal protective equipment.

Gray-Owens experiments at the molecular genetics department concluded that masks produced by I3 BioMedical Inc. are highly efficient in protecting the wearer. The sanitary layer, which coats, the masks neutralizes the virus almost entirely. This considerably decreases the risk of medical personnel contracting Covid-19 if they were to come in contact with the outer, contaminated layer of their masks during removal or adjustment.

This is a huge step forward in fighting the novel coronavirus as it allows health care workers to touch their masks without risking cross-contamination.Thanks to his research, medical personnel can feel a lot more secure on the frontlines.

In an interview withU of T News, Christine Allen, associate vice-president and vice-provost of strategic initiatives, praised Gray-Owen and emphasized the importance of his research.

His efforts helped [I3 BioMedical Inc.] bring its essential health innovation to market, supporting a made-in-Canada solution to the pressing need for personal protective equipment for frontline health-care workers, said Allen.

Gray-Owen also discussed the progress of Covid-19 research and the universitys support of students and faculty in their endeavors.

The natural synergies that arise from U of Ts culture of innovation and collaboration have always driven impactful breakthroughs, stated Gray-Owen. But the speed and scale with which our entire community pivoted toward this great challenge has honestly been inspiring to behold and gives me the confidence that science will once again save us.

In addition to the faculty of medicine, the robotics institute has conducted notable research on Covid-19 and how governments can better respond to the crisis at hand. The faculty of engineering released an authoritative reporton September 21. This report is the product of 14 U of T researchers with a combined 130 years of experience and informs the public about robotics and how it can help combat the novel coronavirus.

Through intensive research and numerous interviews, this report examines the pandemic from a variety of perspectives.

From disinfection and remote triage, to logistics and delivery, countries around the world are making use of robots to address the unique challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, states the executive summary. But the story of robots and Covid-19 is not just about which countries are using robots to help manage their pandemic response; it is also about how the pandemic has become an inflection point for accelerating investment in robotics more broadly.

The report analyzes Canadas most significant vulnerabilities and advantages, going on to discuss how the robotics industry can help keep citizens safe while also increasing efficiency across sectors.Moreover,it provides decision-makers with necessary information surrounding robotics and its potential roles in the fight against Covid-19.

Canada has the opportunity to create a roboticized future that reflects the unique cultural, geographic, and economic needs of its citizens, reads the report. Rather than fear that robots will one day take over our jobs, our freedom, and our privacy, we can engineer and design the robots that we want to ensure a bright future for this country and its residents.

Continue reading here:
U of T research teams work to increase pandemic response efficiency - The Medium

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OpGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPGN, OpGen), a precision medicine company harnessing the power of molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious disease, announced today that total preliminary unaudited revenue for the third quarter of 2020 was approximately $1.0 million, up from $648 thousand in the third quarter of 2019. The preliminary financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2020 reflect the consummation of our business combination with Curetis GmbH on April 1, 2020. The results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 will be included in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and earnings release for the third quarter of 2020. OpGens cash as of September 30, 2020 was approximately $10.4 million. The company also expanded its capacity under its ATM program by an additional $6.4 million, and continues to have access to an additional EUR5.0 million tranche of non-dilutive debt financing for COVID-19 related R&D programs from the European Investment Bank.

In addition, the company announced details regarding a strategic reprioritization of its product portfolio, platform pipeline and priorities going forward. This reprioritization was based on feedback from extensive market research, a customer survey of 150 stakeholders in the decision making on new diagnostic platforms, and key opinion leader interviews conducted by an independent market research firm over the past two quarters. Following a review of this research, OpGen and its Board decided to consolidate the companys product portfolio on its proprietary Unyvero platform and unique bioinformatics capabilities. As a result of this change in priority, the company anticipates the following key impacts:

The company also announced accomplishment of the following key milestones in the third quarter of 2020 and year to date:

Oliver Schacht, President & CEO of OpGen commented, OpGen reported a solid third quarter given the persistent challenging environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to announcing the CE mark certification for our SARS-CoV-2 Kit, we also highlighted the publication of several peer-reviewed studies. We believe that following the portfolio consolidation and strategic product pipeline decisions taken by the board, OpGen along with its subsidiary companies Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH has a focused molecular diagnostics platform strategy and growing emphasis on bioinformatics offerings that will further generate shareholder value. I am truly excited about the future prospect of this company and I am convinced that our strategic initiatives will provide strong growth opportunities and secure our future as a global leader in infectious diseases and AMR diagnostics.

The preliminary financial results are estimates prior to the completion of OpGensfinancial closing procedures and review procedures by its external auditors and therefore may be subject to adjustment when the actual results are available.

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

This press release includes statements regarding OpGens third quarter 2020 results, the companys strategic portfolio and product pipeline priorities, the ongoing integration of OpGen with its acquired subsidiaries, Curetis GmbH and Ares Genetics GmbH, and the impact of COVID-19 on the company and general market conditions. These statements and other statements regarding OpGens 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 realization of expected benefits of our business combination transaction with Curetis GmbH, 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 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:Oliver SchachtPresident and CEOInvestorRelations@opgen.com

OpGen Press Contact:Matthew BretziusFischTank Marketing and PR matt@fischtankpr.com

OpGen Investor Contact:Megan Paul Edison Groupmpaul@edisongroup.com

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OpGen Provides Business and Pipeline Update and Announces Preliminary Unaudited Revenue and Cash Position for the Third Quarter 2020 - GlobeNewswire

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC) accounts for 5% to 7% of all renal cell carcinomas. It was thought for many years that ChRCC exhibits a hypodiploid genome. Recent studies using advanced molecular genetics techniques have shown more complex and heterogenous pattern with frequent chromosomal gains. Historically, multiple losses of chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 10, 13, 17, and 21 have been considered a genetic hallmark of ChRCC, both for classic and eosinophilic ChRCC variants. In the last 2 decades, multiple chromosomal gains in ChRCCs have also been documented, depicting a considerably broader genetic spectrum than previously thought. Studies of rare morphologic variants including ChRCC with pigmented microcystic adenomatoid/multicystic growth, ChRCC with neuroendocrine differentiation, ChRCC with papillary architecture, and renal oncocytoma-like variants also showed variable chromosomal numerical aberrations, including multiple losses (common), gains (less common), or chromosomal changes overlapping with renal oncocytoma. Although not the focus of the review, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data in ChRCC show TP53, PTEN, and CDKN2A to be the most mutated genes. Given the complexity of molecular genetic alterations in ChRCC, this review analyzed the existing published data, aiming to present a comprehensive up-to-date survey of the chromosomal abnormalities in classic ChRCC and its variants. The potential role of chromosomal numerical aberrations in the differential diagnostic evaluation may be limited, potentially owing to its high variability.

Advances in anatomic pathology. 2020 Oct 05 [Epub ahead of print]

Reza Alaghehbandan, Kiril Trpkov, Maria Tretiakova, Ana S Luis, Joanna D Rogala, Ondrej Hes

Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Royal Columbian Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC., Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada., Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA., Department of Pathology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto Francisco Gentil, Porto, Portugal., Department of Pathology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Plzen, Plzen, Czech Republic.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33021507

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Comprehensive Review of Numerical Chromosomal Aberrations in Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma Including its Variant Morphologies. - UroToday

Coronavirus antibodies can last at least three months after a person becomes infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study published in Science Immunology.

Researchers from the University of Toronto and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Instituteat Sinai Health used both saliva and blood samples from COVID-19 patients to measure and compare antibody levels for over three months post-symptom onset.

They found that antibodies of the IgG class that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are detectable for at least 115 days, representing the longest time interval measured. The study is also the first to show these antibodies can also be detected in the saliva.

Our study shows that IgG antibodies against the spike protein of the virus are relatively durable in both blood and saliva, said Jennifer Gommerman, professor of immunology in U of Ts Temerty Faculty of Medicine and leader of the saliva testing effort.

Our study suggests saliva may serve as an alternative for antibody testing. While saliva is not as sensitive as serum, it is easy to collect.

The saliva assay was developed at U of Twhile a team at Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum, led by senior investigator Anne-Claude Gingras, who is also a professor of molecular genetics at U of T, executed the serum assay.

The LTRI platform for detection of antibodies in serum, or blood, is incredibly robust and well suited for assessing the prevalence of infection within the community, said Gingras. This is another tool that can help us better understand and even overcome this virus.

Anne-Claude Gingras, a professor of molecular genetics at U of T, led a team at theLunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute that executed the serum assay for the study (photo courtesy of Mount Sinai Hospital)

Most people who recover from COVID-19 develop immune agents in their blood called antibodies that are specific to the virus. These antibodies are useful in indicating who has been infected, regardless of whether they had symptoms or not.

A large team of scientists collaborated on the study, including Allison McGeer and Mario Ostrowski, who provided access to the paired saliva and serum samples from dozens of patients for the study.

McGeer is a professor of laboratory medicine and pathobiology at U of T, a senior clinician scientistat Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum and principal investigator of the Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network. Ostrowski is a professor of medicine, immunology, and laboratory medicine and pathobiology at U of Tand a scientist at St. Michaels Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.

The study was co-led by U of T graduate students Baweleta Isho, Kento Abe, Michelle Zuo and Alainna Jamal. James Rini, a professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at U of T, and Yves Durocher from the National Research Council of Canada, provided key protein reagents for the saliva studies.

The durability of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 has been debated in recent months. An earlier study published in Nature Medicine suggested the antibodies can disappear after two months for some individuals who had the virus but did not experience symptoms.

This study led by the Toronto team is in agreement with findings from leading immunologists in the U.S. in describing the antibody response as longer lasting.

While the team admits there is a lot they still dont know about antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including how long the antibodies last beyond this period or what protection they afford against re-infection, the research could have broader implications in the development of an effective vaccine.

This study suggests that if a vaccine is properly designed, it has the potential to induce a durable antibody response that can help protect the vaccinated person against the virus that causes COVID-19, Gommerman said.

The researchwas supported by an Ontario Together grant and funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Funding for the development of the assays in the Gingras lab was provided through donations bythe Royal Bank of Canada, Questcap and the Krembil Foundation.

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Coronavirus antibodies last at least three months after infection, U of T study finds - News@UofT

The Department of Neurology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, partnered with Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has an endowment from the Albert and Goldye J. Nelson Fund to support scientific research in the detection, pathogenesis, molecular genetics, neurobiology and therapeutic development to cure Alzheimers disease and related disorders. Available funds for the coming fiscal year are between $50,000 and $100,000.

The Neurology Department is accepting proposals for FY 2021.Interested applicants must submit a proposal that consists of:

1. Specific aim (one page)

2. Research plan (six pages)

3. Human subjects if applicable (two pages)

4. Vertebral animals if applicable (two pages)

5. Biosketch (National Institutes of Health format) for all personnel involved in the study

6. Budget with budget justification

7. Resource

8. Support letters

Funds may not be used to cover the principal investigators salary. Proposals are for two to three years. Applicants must have at least a .25 FTE faculty appointment at the School of Medicine.

The deadline for submission is Jan. 31, 2021. The grant will begin Aug. 1, 2021.

Submit proposals to Carla Santiago, research administrator, WSU Department of Neurology - 8D UHC, 4201 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48201. E-mail:csantiago@med.wayne.edu.

Please note that the grant submissions must follow grant guidelines. Please click here for the guidelines.

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Neurology Department calls for grant proposals to support Alzheimer's disease and related research - The South End

While working on his upcoming cookbook, The Flavor Equation, food writer Nik Sharma packed up an array of salt, sugar, and spices and headed to the University of California, Berkeley. At the Biological Imaging Facility, he trained an AxioImager M1 microscope down at slides covered with brown sugar and kala namak, Indian black salt. With a ZEISS confocal laser scanning microscope, he peered down at bonito flakes and yeast suspended in vinegar.

These powerful microscopes revealed the razor-like ridges of Maldon salt and the fat, gem-like grains of brown sugar. The resulting photos make up a single spread at the end of his 352-page book. Nevertheless, both in his introduction to the book and over the phone, Sharma notes that including the super-zoomed-in photos was his one dream.

Though Sharma has been a food writer and columnist for years (currently with bylines in the New York Times, the Guardian, and Serious Eats), he started out as a molecular biologist, with a background in biochemistry and microbiology and a degree in molecular genetics. The Flavor Equation shows how Sharma has used his education. The book itself is replete with colorful diagrams that wouldnt look out of place in a chemistry textbook and techniques such as one for making oven fries that Sharma adapted from blood collection. (Turns out, citric acid and sodium citrate, via lemon juice and baking soda, can both keep blood from coagulating and improve the texture of your fries.)

While Sharma has pondered a science-themed cookbook for years, from the beginning, he had a clear idea of what he would write: a cookbook that broadens the conception of food science beyond its narrowly Western focus.

As someone who loves science and loves cooking, I have noticed always that theres a very strong emphasis on European foods when it comes to food science, he says. Hed never seen microscope photography of a number of his favorite ingredients.

It was this impulse that led Sharma to take his ingredients to the lab at Berkeley. The resulting photos reveal quite a bit about the qualities of the seasonings, all of which are used in various recipes in the book. Theres an enormous contrast between the defined shape of coarse salt and the fluffy-looking texture of kala namak. Sharma notes that the difference stems from the compounds that make up each. Most table salts are close to pure sodium chloride, while kala namak, mined from the earth and smoked, is made up of numerous other compounds that give it its unique properties. With its sulfuric chemicals, the black salt (which, despite its name, is red and not black) is often used by vegans to give foods a taste reminiscent of eggs.

The same comparison applies to brown sugar and jaggery. Brown sugar is simply white sugar blended with molasses. The result, when viewed under a super-powered microscope, is large, distinct crystals. Jaggery, on the other hand, is much less processed. Boiled down from the juice crushed out of sugarcane, its relative complexity compared to brown sugar is obvious from its varied texture. So its more of an amorphous powder, Sharma says, as the additional compounds inhibit its ability to form a defined crystal structure.

The shapes of seasonings do have an effect on cooking, Sharma says, though in many cases it may be too subtle for many people to notice. One example he gives is kosher salt, specifically the brand Diamond Crystal. If you look under the microscope, its like teeny glass shards. Its so flat and thin. So they dissolve really fast in water at room temperature. Sprinkled on a steak, you have more osmosis taking place with kosher salt because its dissolving faster on the surface. The result, with the salt pulling water towards it quickly, is a better crust on your cooked steak.

Yet only a handful of the otherworldly seasoning pictures made it into Sharmas book. For one thing, he had already gone 200 pages over his publishers limit, and many of the pictures werent quite the right resolution to print. In the end, he satisfied his scientific impulse with the other photos in the book. Sharma, a skilled photographer, took all the photos for The Flavor Equation. For many, he says, he wanted the illusion that he had taken them with a microscope, an effect he accomplished by using a huge homemade light box and glass plates. The cover sports an image of lime slices laid flat, their segments as distinct as panes of stained glass, and a photo of a pool of oil, for a chapter on Richness, is so zoomed in that you can count the bubbles.

While Sharma has dreams of buying a microscope for more food photography, theres a reason he had to go to a special lab for these pictures. (Said scopes are wildly expensive.) So this is the best that I could do, in my own way, he says, to show people the unique geometry of the ingredients they use every day. Its not like science only applies to European food, he states. It also applies to other cultures.

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The Microscopic Majesty of Sugars, Salts, and Spices - Atlas Obscura

Newswise A $53.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will aid brain scientists, including a researcher from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), in studying the role of incidental white matter lesions, or WMLs, in dementia among diverse people with cognitive complaints.

The study is led by UC Davis School of Medicine in partnership with UTHealth. It is a new and critical part of the NIHsVascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia(VCID) research program.

Co-principal investigator isMyriam Fornage, PhD, professor of genetics at theBrown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseasesat McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Fornage is a leading researcher on the molecular genetics of cerebrovascular disease.

Our team has been at the forefront of genetic studies of WMLs for two decades, Fornage said. Through the genetic risk profiles we will develop, we will have an opportunity to apply what we have discovered and improve the precision with which we identify patients with a higher prior probability of cognitive impairment and dementia. At the same time, we will be contributing new resources for dementia research everywhere.

The principal investigator isCharles DeCarli, MD, professor of neurology, director of theUC Davis Alzheimers Disease Centerand the nations foremost expert on the role of subcortical cerebrovascular disease in cognitive decline. In the last few years, DeCarli has been awarded national and state research grants exceeding $33 million.

The magnitude of this NIH grant underscores UC Davis Alzheimers Disease Centers national prominence and research leadership, said UC Davis School of Medicine Dean Allison Brashear,MD, a neurologist nationally known for her groundbreaking research in movement disorders. This multiyear research award will enable us to make game-changing advancements in our understanding and treatment of dementia.

WMLs occur when tissue deep in the brain becomes injured, often due to changes in small blood vessels. They are common and often found on brain MRIs of people who have concerns about their brain health.

Why or how WMLs are associated with cognitive decline is not known. Questions surround whether certain WML characteristics, such as size and location, make them greater risk factors for dementia. It also isnt clear how comorbidities additional health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes together with WMLs increase risk for cognitive decline. Defining these connections is essential to improving outcomes for the 5.7 million people in the U.S. affected by cognitive impairment and dementia.

DeCarli and Fornages landmark research is expected to answer these questions and lead to standards for assessing, diagnosing, and treating individuals with WML-related cognitive problems.

This grant gives us the chance to study WMLs from every angle and definitively understand their roles in age- and disease-related cognitive decline and risk for future dementia, DeCarli said. Its the culmination of our three decades of research that has given us great directions, but no final answers yet.

DeCarli and Fornage will conduct a study of patients with WMLs on their MRIs and concerns about cognitive symptoms, but no dementia diagnosis. It will be the first large study of a diverse population on the long-term effects of these lesions on thinking and dementia risk.

Beginning September 2021, study participants will be recruited at UC Davis Health and at least 10 other locations throughout the U.S. They will be from a variety of backgrounds, so the researchers can identify how WML outcomes differ by race, ethnicity, and sex, better representing those at risk for dementia.

Our ultimate goals are to develop a risk profile that identifies the likelihood of WML-related cognitive impairment and dementia over the course of five to 10 years and to identify clear targets for interventional trials, DeCarli said.

Resources to advance all dementia research

Another exciting part of the grant, according to the researchers, is the chance to fund additional studies aimed at refining diagnostic and predictive tools and methods for dementia. The outcomes will enhance dementia research and clinical care worldwide.

Data and samples from these studies will be shared with the wider research community via theNational Alzheimers Coordinating Center at the University of Washingtonand theNational Centralized Repository for Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias at Indiana University. Images will be shared through theLaboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California.

DeCarli and Fornage also participate in theMarkVCID Consortium, supported by the NIHsNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The consortium was established in 2016 to identify biological markers of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.

This award is co-sponsored by the NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke andNational Institute on Agingthrough grant 1U19NS120384.

The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) for the Prevention of Human Diseases is part of McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The IMM is focused on studying and preventing diseases at the genetic, cellular, and molecular levels using DNA and protein technologies and animal models. The IMM is part of the Texas Therapeutics Institute, a multi-institutional collaboration encouraging drug discovery. For more information, visitwww.uth.edu/imm/mission.htm.

The UC Davis Alzheimers Disease Research Center is one of only31 research centers designated and funded by the NIHs National Institute on Aging. The center's goal is to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and treatment for patients while focusing on the long-term goal of finding a way to prevent or cure Alzheimers disease and other dementias. The center also allows researchers to study the effects of the disease on a uniquely diverse population. For more information, visithealth.ucdavis.edu/alzheimers.

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Researchers receive more than $53 million to study role of white matter lesions in dementia - Newswise