An Ottawa astrophotographer who has been fascinated with space for years has earned recognition from NASA scientists for a dramatic image of the aftermath of two galaxies colliding.

In the photo, what looks like a pale but fiery strip of orange curls around a blue and purple swirl of stars. The two forms meet in a bright flare in the middle, creating the impression, as NASAs Astronomy Picture of the Day description puts it, that this galaxy is jumping through a giant ring of stars.

Rudy Pohl, the Ottawa man behind the processing of the image, said that theres a gravitational force that has been set up between them, sort of pulling it apart, though he was quick to add that he was not an astronomer himself.

In a phone interview with CTVNews.ca, Pohl said he was thrilled to have his photo chosen by NASAs Astronomy Picture of the Day -- his second image since he started submitting to NASA.

It's really extraordinary to get one of those, he said. Hundreds of images get submitted every day to NASA for this.

Astronomy Picture of the Day has been running since 1995, and each photo comes with an explanation of the image, provided by a professional astronomer.

Although it appears as though two galaxies are wrestling in front of our eyes, both the blue and orange arms in the picture are all part of the same galaxy: NGC 7714.

According to the description, the image shows how NGC 7714 has been stretched and distorted by a recent collision, with NGC 7715, a smaller, neighboring galaxy, that is off to the left out of the frame of the image.

Scientists believe that NGC 7715 charged right through NGC 7714.

The ring of golden light in the image is made up of millions of older stars thought to be similar to our sun, the description says, while the bright centre of NGC 7714 is the nexus of a new star formation for the galaxy.

Youd never guess it, looking at the vibrant colours in the picture, but this image started out life as a series of black and white photos taken by NASAs Hubble telescope.

It took hours of work to process the image, but it was work that Pohl, 69, was happy to do.

Pohl is part of an online community of astrophotographers who create stunning colour photographs of space. Although some have their own telescopes and equipment to take photos of the sky themselves, others rely on free archives, such as the Hubble Legacy Archive, to find the source images to create their masterpieces.

If the source images are black and white, does that mean those who process the images are choosing colours at random?

Not according to Pohl. The colour clues are in the filters used by Hubble, he said.

What they do is they put a colored filter in front of that black and white camera. In this case there are three colors, red, green, and blue. It's called RGB imaging. It's the same imaging as in our computer monitors and in our televisions, he explained.

Every single pixel is made up of a percentage of red, percentage of green and percentage of blue.

So the Hubble camera first puts a red filter in front of it, which means it blocks out everything but the red, and so the red wavelength hits the camera and you get an image.

Although the image still comes out looking black and white, it is effectively a picture of what the galaxy would look like if it was composed of only red light.

The process is repeated with blue filters and green filters, Pohl said, producing numerous images that -- while technically greyscale images -- contain a massive amount of information regarding where different wavelengths of light, and thus different colours, are concentrated in the image.

Astrophotographers take these different greyscale images and fill them with colour corresponding to the filter they were taken with, so they end up with numerous red, blue, and green layers of the same deep space object. When they line the different images up on top of each other, thats when the real picture of a galaxy, star or nebula starts to form.

It takes a lot of processing and refining of the different layers to filter out the noise in the images and produce a final photo that looks as crystal clear as Pohls picture of NGC 7714. Pohl said it can take anywhere from 12 to 16 hours to finish an image.

He used to have his own telescopes and equipment to image the heavens with, but when chronic illness advanced on him, he said he had to sell his gear.

Broke my heart to do it, he said.

Working with public archives of space images allowed him to hold onto his passion.

A love of science is something that has informed almost his entire life. Pohl got his undergraduate degree in molecular genetics at Carleton University, and met his wife while he was at it, who was also studying science. He only started posting astrophotography pictures within the last few years, but he's not slowing down now.

I'm going to be doing it for the rest of my life now, he said. I am so blown away, like when I think of the vastness of space.

NGC 7714 is around 100 million light years away from Earth, which makes it a relatively close cosmic neighbor.

According to APOD, NGC 7714 and NGC 7715 first started interacting around 150 million years ago, and are expected to continue for several hundred million years more, possibly resulting in the two combining into a single galaxy.

See original here:
This image shows the aftermath of two galaxies colliding - CTV News

Why anyone feels the need to keep remaking shows again and again is hard to imagine, but apparently enough people are willing to sit through another version of a show that they might have watched when it first aired simply because theres a new cast and, as a lot of people are praising, its more diverse now. Neetha K of Meaww still isnt convinced and I cant blame her. Im still trying to figure out how thats going to immediately make the show better but its definitely appeasing the people who have presented the loudest and most insistent voices throughout the years but havent seemed to realize that if actors are going to be selected they have to actually know how to act and not get their parts based on their race, gender, or any other factor apart from their talent. As if this wasnt enough, the middle sister is a lesbian and they all play Latina sisters despite the fact that one of them is Afro-Caribbean, one is Puerto Rican, and the other is a mix of African American, English, and Indigenous Canadian. At this point just using names must be too difficult since so many people have to display their pedigree so that others know how to address and think about them. At any rate, here are the cast members that are currently rounding out the second season of Charmed.

The middle sister of the bunch is portrayed as a very strong-willed feminist and is also an activist. Shes a graduate student and as mentioned is an open lesbian that had to wipe the memory of herself from her lovers mind. The power shes been given is to freeze time, which seems like a rather dangerous power when one really stops to think about it since the implications for such a thing are kind of dire. Eventually though it was revealed that Mel is the half-sister and not Macy.

Macy is a lot more practical than her sisters and is even labeled as a science nerd in a way. She has her PhD in molecular genetics and eventually moves to Hilltowne to work in the university. The revelation that she has two half-sisters in town is something of a shock but is necessary since the story kind of hinges on the trio getting together and discovering their powers so that they can act as the saviors of the town. The power she wields is telekinesis, being able to move objects with her mind, and once again its kind of a dangerous power to have but one that seems a lot more common in supernatural tales.

Maggie is the youngest and most upbeat of the sisters and shes the only one of them that seems to want to hide what she is and not really embrace it as shes trying to pledge a sorority and being a witch could ruin everything. Instead of having the power of premonition however as was seen in the original show Maggie has the power of empathy, meaning that she can read the emotions of other people and understand what theyre feeling and their emotional state at that moment. This is perhaps the most passive of the powers that the witches possess and seems as though it might be kind of useless, but it has shown to be an asset in past movies and shows that have utilized it.

Harry is the guy thats known as a Whitelighter, a guardian angel that protects and guides the witches when hes needed. Its kind of amusing in such a woke show that theres still a white male that is being used as a guide and a mentor for three diverse young women that are bound to become stronger when they unite, but it does seem to be introduced as a positive idea since hes more hands off and allows them to simply learn the ropes on their own while sticking around to see how things go.

You had to know that there would be a demon presence in this show and that eventually it would end up coming down to being one of the love interests of one of the witches. Maggie and Nick obviously cant stay together since he has to deal with the demon side of his being, but it feels safe to say that hell be back at some point since the two of them share something thats not bound to be thrown away.

It would seem that as different as the show is striving to be that there are still a lot of similarities that are being kept for good or ill, and at this moment its hard to say whether or not its bound to continue for more than a couple of seasons. As of now season 2 has been approved as per Abby Robinson of DigitalSpy, but its going to have step things up if it wants to improve.

See the article here:
Meet The Cast of Charmed Season 2 - TVOvermind

A recent study looked at funding rates for R01 grant applications, which are designed to support "health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH." In general, population-based projects were less likely to be funded than explorations of cellular mechanisms, the study found. Will & Deni McIntyre/Science Source hide caption

A recent study looked at funding rates for R01 grant applications, which are designed to support "health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH." In general, population-based projects were less likely to be funded than explorations of cellular mechanisms, the study found.

Black applicants to a prestigious research grant program at the National Institutes of Health are awarded funding at a significantly lower rate than their white peers. The NIH has been intensively investigating this funding gap since a 2011 report revealed the extent of the problem, looking for underlying mechanisms to use as opportunities for corrective intervention.

NIH's latest finding, described in a study released this month in the open-access journal Science Advances, reveals that part of the gap can be attributed to differences in the types of topics scientists propose studying and how those topics are valued by grant reviewers.

The study of grant applications submitted between 2011 and 2015 suggests African American scientists may be more likely to pursue research in topic areas such as community-oriented research on disease prevention, for example, versus more microscopic-level research on cellular mechanisms or the basics of genetics. Those population-based topics aren't being funded as readily.

And that's a problem with the system, some outside researchers point out not with the choice of research topic.

"I do think that the areas of research that apparently are being funded at a lower rate are important," says David Asai, senior director for science education at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and an advocate for diversity in STEM, who was not involved in the NIH analysis. "This study might prompt the community to think about the underlying biases we might have in deciding what sorts of research deserve greater attention."

The NIH study looked at funding rates in the form of successful applications for R01 grants, which are designed to support "health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH."

Despite NIH efforts to diversify the pool of scholars doing medical research, white applicants for these grants continue to receive funding at nearly twice the rate of black applicants 17.7% of white applicants were approved in fiscal years 2011-2015 compared with 10.7% of black applicants.

The researchers analyzed keywords in the topics of 157,549 grant applications and found that some topics were close to four times more likely to gain funding support.

"Among the less favored [topics] are areas that include study of groups of people," says Dr. James Anderson, deputy director for program coordination, planning and strategic initiatives at the NIH and one of the authors of the paper.

"These topics are are described by words like socioeconomic status, physical activity, pregnancy," Anderson says. "The ones that did best were really about molecular mechanisms cells, or parts of cells. Words like cilium, DNA polymerase, chimeral chemistry, ribosome. It's not absolute, but it's really quite a striking distinction." The success rates by topic ranged from about 29% to 7.5%.

The researchers used self-reported demographic data in an optional portion of the application one that was not visible to the grant reviewers to identify each applicant's race. They found that over a third of the applications from black scientists were tied to just eight of the 150 topic clusters.

Six of those eight topics involved "communities, or health disparities, and so on," says Anderson, "and those were in the topics that didn't do quite as well" in the funding process.

This difference in topic preference can account for 20% of the overall funding gap for black applicants, the study found, after controlling for other variables such as the applicant's prior academic and professional experience and accomplishments.

Dr. Hannah Valantine, director of the Office of Scientific Workforce Diversity at the NIH and another author on the paper, says black scientists might be more drawn to certain topic areas at the population level because "connection to one's community, and seeing the disparities, drives people to go into science to create a better environment for their community."

"It's critically important that African American scientists are able to advance their career and stay in academia, not only for their own success, but for enhancing the diversity of the biomedical workforce," Valantine says. "Because we know already that when we have a diverse scientific enterprise, we come up with more creative solutions to the problems that we seek to solve."

That concern resonates with Stephani Page, a postdoctoral fellow in biophysics at Duke University Molecular Physiology Institute and initiator of the Twitter hashtag #BLACKandSTEM, even though her field of study lies on the more statistically successful end of the grant-getting spectrum.

"For me, personally," Page says, "the science that gets me really excited, and I get tingles about, tends to be more quantitative, mechanistic science. But I also have the experience of coming up growing up and being a mom as a black woman in this skin. So when I think about what I want my career to be, it's difficult for me to detach from my career meaning something to my community more broadly."

Page says she is losing hope that she can have the community impact she wants helping black scientists feel affirmed while working in her current field. "I don't want to be a scientist who can't be committed and devoted to changing the system," she says.

One underlying cause of the disparity this study documented, Page says, might be that many of the NIH reviewers who evaluate grant proposals only 2.4% of whom were black in this study lack a certain lens when evaluating what research topics deserve priority.

"If you haven't grown up with inequity as deeply ingrained in your lived experience, it's not going to be as important a lens in your life decisions," she says. "The fact that there's data behind it now gives us a space to talk about it differently. Now we can begin to say that the lens makes a difference."

Valantine says the NIH is also actively evaluating whether the disparity is partly due to racial bias by reviewers. A study to be published early next year, she says, "will tell us whether, if we anonymize an application, we can close this gap."

Whatever the causes of the diversity gap, she says, the NIH is committed to closing it, and the study's results suggest several areas of intervention that could help. For one, the NIH has already begun mentoring programs aimed at increasing the diversity of the grant applicant pool.

"Black applicants submitted only 1.5% of the total applications for these R01s," Valantine says, adding that "we must do all we can" to increase that percentage.

In the meantime, the underfunded topics that the study identified are " 'mission critical' areas of NIH," Valantine says. "The solution is figuring out, within NIH, how we can make sure that those areas are funded."

See the article here:
Racial Disparities In NIH R01 Funding May Be Partly Caused By Topic Choice : Shots - Health News - NPR

Special to The Sentinel Published 12:02 a.m. ET Oct. 16, 2019

Denison University's Goodspeed Lecture Series welcomes Terence Keel, associate professor with a split appointment in the Department of African American Studies, and the UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics presenting, "Christianity, Race, and the Haunting of the Biomedical Sciences" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, in the Auditorium of Denison Universitys Slayter Hall (200 Ridge Road).

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jodi Weibel at 740-587-6241 or visit Denison.edu.

The idea that so-called races reflect inherent biological differences between social groups has been a prominent aspect of Western thought since at least the Enlightenment, according to a DU news release. While there have been moments of refuting this way of thinking most notably, the social constructionist thesis emerging as a dominant framework in the aftermath of WWII fixed biological conceptions of race haunt new genetic technologies, where race is thought to be measurable at the molecular level.

Keel argues that the resilience of this naturalized understanding of race may stem less from overtly political motives on the part of scientists and more from our inherited theological traditions that continue to shape and limit the intellectual horizon of scientific reasoning.

Keel is a critical race theorist, historian of science, and scholar of religion who has written widely about American biomedical science, religion, law, and modern thought.

His first book, "Divine Variations" explained how Christian thought made possible the development of the race concept in Euro-American science while also shaping the moral and epistemic commitments embedded in the study of human biology. Keel is an affiliate of the newly formed Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice and Health at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

He is also a senior advisor to the Goldin Institute, a Chicago based non-profit organization that advocates globally for grassroots leadership, conflict resolution, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability.

Keel's visit is sponsored by the Department of Religion, Black Studies, and the Faculty Research Table on Race Science: Histories, Legacies, Continuities.

Read or Share this story: https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/granville/2019/10/16/denison-presents-christianity-race-haunting-biomedical-sciences/40287937/

Read the original here:
Denison presents: 'Christianity, Race, and the Haunting of the Biomedical Sciences' - The Newark Advocate

Successful validation of Saphyr to replace gold standard method of southern blotting for molecular diagnosis of FSHD supports broad utility of Saphyr

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (BNGO), a life sciences instrumentation company that develops and markets the Saphyr system, a genome imaging platform for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific genome-wide structural variation detection, today announced that leading organizations, including PerkinElmer Genomics and the University of Iowa, have adopted Saphyr for use in their clinical genomics laboratories. PerkinElmer Genomics and the University of Iowa have developed assays based on the Bionano optical mapping technology to expand their comprehensive suite of genetic tests assessing disease-associated chromosomal abnormalities. Their lead indication is Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).

FSHD is one of the most prevalent forms of muscular dystrophy and affects approximately 1 in 10,000 individuals. It is caused by changes in the number of repeats in a section of chromosome 4. To correctly diagnose FSHD, an exact count of the repeat number is necessary. To date, molecular diagnoses for FSHD are generated using outdated Southern Blot techniques, which are imprecise, labor intensive and involve radioactive labeling methods which are being phased out of laboratory use for safety reasons. In contrast, the assays developed by PerkinElmer Genomics and the University of Iowawith the Bionano EnFocus FSHD Analysis tool are reproducible, safe, fast, and automated with minimal hands-on time. These assays provide an exact repeat number for the pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants, give a high-resolution view of the repeat regions and have a high sensitivity to mosaicism.

Jamshid Arjomand, Ph.D., CSO of the FSHD Society, the leading research-focused patient organization forFSHD, said, The FSHD community has been waiting years for an accessible and robust assay like this. The lack of timely and affordable genetic testing has been a major hurdle for the FSHD community. Thousands of patients have never received a molecular diagnosis, which limits successful recruitment into the increasing number of clinical research and clinical trial studies for this devastating disease. We are delighted that Bionanos Saphyr system enables a more precise and higher throughput method for FSHD genetic testing and are grateful to diagnostic groups and companies that are making genetic testing more accessible to our families.

We are pleased to be the first US laboratory to develop and validate an assay based on the Bionano Saphyr system in a clinical setting under CLIA/CAP guidelines" stated Madhuri Hegde, Ph.D., FACMG, Vice President and CSO of PerkinElmer Genomics. "We are committed to helping patients and families that need genetic testing and are excited about the strong clinical utility of this assay for the molecular assessment of FSHD patients."

Erik Holmlin, Ph.D., CEO of Bionano, commented, We have always believed that Bionanos unique ability to image long, intact DNA molecules could enable the Saphyr system users to develop assays in a clinical setting to modernize and streamline the practice of cytogenetics. Our teams have worked tirelessly to improve the speed, quality, throughput, and robustness of the optical mapping application of genome imaging while simultaneously reducing cost, assay complexity and data analysis. We believe Saphyr is ready to be adopted for assay development in a routine clinical workflow, and we are thrilled that PerkinElmer Genomics and the University of Iowa are taking the lead in making the Saphyr system a tool for next-generation cytogenomics, with many other academic, CRO and reference laboratories expected to follow. We believe that FSHD is just the start of a wide array of clinical genetics assays that labs will develop with our technology.

Results of the PerkinElmer Genomics FSHD evaluation study using the Saphyr system will be presented by Alka Chaubey, Ph.D., FACMG, Head of Cytogenomics and Laboratory Director at PerkinElmer Genomics at the Bionano Genomics ASHG exhibitor workshop on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 from 12:45 pm 2:00 pm at the Houston Marriott Marquis. More information about the workshop can be found online, and a recording will be made available on Bionanos website.

Story continues

Bionano will showcase the Bionano EnFocus FSHD Analysis tool for fast, streamlinedbioinformaticsassessment of theFSHD locusfrom genome-wide optical mapping data at booth #527 during the annualAmerican Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting, Oct. 15-19, 2019.

About Bionano Genomics

Bionano is a life sciences instrumentation company in the genome analysis space. Bionano develops and markets the Saphyr system, a platform for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific structural variation detection that enables researchers and clinicians to accelerate the search for new diagnostics and therapeutic targets andto establish digital cytogenetics, which is designed to be a more systematic, streamlined and industrialized form of traditional cytogenetics. The Saphyr system comprises an instrument, chip consumables, reagents and a suite of data analysis tools. More information about Bionano Genomics is available at http://www.bionanogenomics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, including, among other things: conclusions as to Saphyrs potential as a powerful new tool in cytogenetics; Saphyrs potential contribution to improvements in traditional cytogenetics; the University of Iowas or PerkinElmer Genomics plans to develop additional assays using our technology; our beliefs regarding the Saphyr systems readiness for clinical adoption andour expectations regarding adoption by other academic, CRO and reference laboratories using our technology; PerkinElmer Genomics commercial plans; plans of other Saphyr system users to implement their own assays for FSHD and other genetic disorders; and certain planned presentations by PerkinElmer Genomics and us. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks that our sales, revenue, expense and other financial guidance may not be as expected, as well as risks and uncertainties associated with general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive products; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the ability of key clinical studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of our products; the loss of key members of management and our commercial team; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

Contacts

Company Contact:Mike Ward, CFOBionano Genomics, Inc.+1 (858) 888-7600mward@bionanogenomics.com

Investor Relations Contact:Ashley R. RobinsonLifeSci Advisors, LLC+1 (617)775-5956arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact:Kirsten ThomasThe Ruth Group+1 (508) 280-6592kthomas@theruthgroup.com

Continued here:
Bionano Genomics Announces Adoption of Its Saphyr System by Clinical Cytogenetics Groups in Academia and Industry to Replace Traditional Methods for...

Findings to be presented cover broad range of scientifically and clinically relevant areas including schizophrenia, sex development, cancer and muscular dystrophy

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (BNGO) today announced that disease researchers using Bionanos Saphyr system for whole genome imaging will present their results at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, between October 15-19 in Austin, Texas.

The impact of analysis using the Saphyr system for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific genome-wide detection of structural variation will be presented at ASHG with 22 oral and poster presentations and an Educational Event hosted by Bionano.

ASHG 2019 represents a milestone for Bionano, with a record number of presentations demonstrating novel discoveries through our genome mapping technology, said Erik Holmlin, Ph.D., CEO of Bionano. The growing use of the Saphyr system in disease research illustrates the value in identifying genomic variations for deep understanding of disease origin and diagnostic development.

Optical mapping through Saphyr enables the direct observation of large genomic variations through imaging of fluorescently labeled, megabase-size native DNA molecules. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), in contrast, relies on short-reads that piece together sequence fragments in an attempt to rebuild the actual structure of the genome. NGS often misses large DNA variations, such as deletions, insertions, duplications, and translocations and inversions. Genome mapping resolves these structural variations for more insight into the genetic variations that cause disease.

Below is a summary of key presentations to be given at ASHG 2019 featuring the use of optical genome mapping:

Genetic diagnosis of sex development disorders through optical mappingHalf of disorders of sex development (DSD) patients lack a firm diagnosis. Prof. Eric Vilain, from George Washington University and Childrens National Medical Center, will present research validating the diagnostic and gene discovery use of Bionano genome mapping to identify structural variants in patients with DSD. The talk, entitled Integration of optical genome mapping and sequencing technologies for identification of structural variants in DSD, will be presented on Wed. Oct. 16 at 5:15 - 5:30 pm in the convention center Level 3, Room 361D.

Genomic mapping has the potential to replace a combination of current cytogenetic techniquesCurrently, a comprehensive clinical analysis of genomic aberrations requires a combination of various assays such as CNV-microarrays, karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Dr. Tuomo Mantere, from Radboud University Medical Center, will present data directly comparing traditional cytogenetic assays with Bionano mapping in leukemia patient samples to illustrate that genome mapping can identify all aberrations found by the three conventional technologies combined, and additional variants as well. The poster, entitled Next-generation cytogenetics: High-resolution optical mapping to replace FISH, karyotyping and CNV-microarrays will be presented on Thurs. Oct. 17, between 2 - 3pm, PgmNr 2533/T.

Genomic architecture reveals critical factors that may contribute to schizophrenia-associated 3q29 chromosomal deletionDeletions at the 3q29 chromosomal locus are associated with a 40-fold increase in risk for schizophrenia. Knowing the features that contribute to genomic instability is critical for identifying risk factors of chromosomal deletions. Trenel Mosley, from Emory University, will present the discovery of novel genomic structural characteristics found in 12 patients with 3q29 deletion and their parents using Saphyr. The poster entitled, Optical mapping of the schizophrenia-associated 3q29 deletion reveals new features of genomic architecture, will be presented on Wed. Oct. 16, between 2 - 3pm, PgmNr 1389/W.

Bionano and NGS resolve complex rearrangements in extrachromosomal, circular DNA in glioblastoma The rapid growth of aggressive tumors such as glioblastoma is partially caused by the rapid amplification of oncogenes in circular structures outside of native chromosomes. Because these structures do not occur in the reference genome, standard analysis methods fail to correctly assemble them. Jens Luebeck, from the University of California, San Diego, demonstrates that a combination of Bionano genome mapping and NGS resolves important breakpoints and gene amplifications in extrachromosomal DNA. The talk, entitled Integrated Analysis of NGS and Optical Mapping Resolves the Complex Structure of Highly Rearranged Focal Amplifications in Cancer, will be presented on Sat. Oct. 19, from 10:15 - 10:30am PgmNr: 323

Story continues

Bionano Educational Event will feature research on muscular dystrophy, prenatal development & neurodegenerative disordersAt Bionanos educational event, Dr. Alka Chaubey from Perkin Elmer Genomics, Dr. Frances High from Mass General Hospital for Children, and Dr. Mark Ebbert from the Mayo Clinic will present findings from their work using the Saphyr system for structural genomic resolution. Analysis of chromosomal repeats, complex genomic haplotypes, and risk loci found in genetic disease will be highlighted by the speakers. Entitled Resolving Structural Variants Across the Whole Genome to Power Your Next Discovery in Human Genetics, the event will take place on Thurs. Oct 17, from 12:45 - 2:00pm at the Marriott Marquis, Houston, River Oaks, Level 3, and include a complimentary lunch.

Additional presentations featuring optical genome mapping:

High Throughput Analysis of Tandem Repeat Contraction Associated with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) by Optical MappingPresented by Jian Wang, Bionano GenomicsWed. Oct. 16, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 2535/W

Full Genome Analysis for Identification of Single Nucleotide and Structural Variants in Genes that Cause Developmental DelayPresented by Hsiao-Jung Kao, Academia SINICAWed. Oct. 16, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 2547/W

A Robust Benchmark for Germline Structural Variant DetectionPresented by Justin Zook, National Institute of Standards and TechnologyWed. Oct. 16, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 1695/W

De Novo Genome Assembly and Phasing for Undiagnosed ConditionsPresented by Joseph Shieh, University of California, San FranciscoWed. Oct. 16, 2 -3 pm PgmNr: 2529/W

Bionano Prep SP Isolates High Quality Ultra-high Molecular Weight (UHMW) Genomic DNA to Improve Research of Cancer and Undiagnosed DisordersPresented by Henry Sadowski, Bionano GenomicsWed. Oct. 16, 3 - 4pm PgmNr: 2598/W

nanotatoR: An Annotation Tool for Genomic Structural VariantsPresented by Surajit Bhattacharya, Childrens National Medical CenterWed. Oct. 16, 3 - 4pm PgmNr: 1506/W

Detection, Characterization, and Breakpoint Refinement of Balanced Rearrangements by Optical Mapping in Clinical CasesPresented by Alex Hastie, Bionano Genomics + LabCorpThurs. Oct. 17, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 2569/T

Genetic/epigenetic Diagnosis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) via Optical MappingPresented by Yi-Wen Chen, Childrens National Medical CenterThurs. Oct. 17, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 2533/T

Comprehensive Analysis of Structural Variants in Clinical Cancer SamplesPresented by Ernest Lam, Bionano GenomicsThurs. Oct. 17, 3 - 4pm PgmNr: 1060/T

Advanced Structural Analysis of CDH Risk Loci with Optical Genome Mapping TechnologyPresented by Mauro Longoni, Massachusetts General HospitalThurs. Oct. 17, 3 - 4pm PgmNr: 2578/T

Structural Variants Associated with GWAS SNPs Provide Mechanistic Explanation of Phenotypic AssociationsPresented by Seth Berger, Childrens National Medical CenterThurs. Oct. 17, 3 - 4pm PgmNr: 2254/T

The Complete Linear Assembly and Methylation Map of Human Chromosome 8Presented by Glennis Logsdon, University of WashingtonFri. Oct. 18, 1 - 2pm PgmNr: 1703/F

High Throughput High Molecular Weight DNA Extraction from Human Tissues for Long-read SequencingPresented by Kelvin Liu, CirculomicsFri. Oct. 18, 1 - 2pm PgmNr: 1769/F

Optical Mapping for Chromosomal Abnormalities: A Pilot Feasibility Study for Clinical UsePresented by Gokce Toruner, UT MD Anderson Cancer CenterFri. Oct. 18, 1 - 2pm PgmNr: 2447/F

Comprehensive Detection of Germline and Somatic Structural Mutation in Cancer Genomes by Bionano Genomics Optical MappingPresented by Mark Ebbert, Mayo ClinicFri. Oct. 18, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 1760/F

Dark and Camouflaged Genes May Harbor Disease-relevant Variants that Long-read Sequencing Can ResolvePresented by Andy Pang, Bionano GenomicsFri. Oct. 18, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 1814/F

Bionano Genomics Sample to Answer Workflow for Single Molecule Analysis of Variation in Genome StructurePresented by Sven Bocklandt, Bionano GenomicsFri. Oct. 18, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 1838/F

Draft Assembly of an Armenian GenomePresented by Hayk Barseghyan, Childrens National Medical CenterFri. Oct. 18, 2 - 3pm PgmNr: 2342/F

About Bionano GenomicsBionano is a life sciences instrumentation company in the genome analysis space. Bionano develops and markets the Saphyr system, a platform for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific structural variation detection that enables researchers and clinicians to accelerate the search for new diagnostics and therapeutic targets and to streamline digital cytogenetics, which is designed to be a more systematic, streamlined and industrialized form of traditional cytogenetics. The Saphyr system comprises an instrument, chip consumables, reagents and a suite of data analysis tools. For more information, visit http://www.bionanogenomics.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, including among other things: the timing and content of the presentations identified in this press release; and the ability of genome mapping to perform comprehensive clinical analysis as well as conventional technologies. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks that our sales, revenue, expense and other financial guidance may not be as expected, as well as risks and uncertainties associated with general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive products; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the ability of key clinical studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of our products; the loss of key members of management and our commercial team; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

ContactsCompany Contact:Mike Ward, CFOBionano Genomics, Inc.+1 (858) 888-7600mward@bionanogenomics.com

Investor Relations Contact:Ashley R. RobinsonLifeSci Advisors, LLC+1 (617) 775-5956arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact:Kirsten ThomasThe Ruth Group+1 (508) 280-6592kthomas@theruthgroup.com

Excerpt from:
Top Researchers to Present Discoveries Made Possible by Bionanos Saphyr System for Genome Imaging Technology at the ASHG 2019 Annual Meeting - Yahoo...

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantabio, a leading provider of robust DNA and RNA amplification reagents for the most demanding molecular testing and life science research applications, today announced its lineup of podium and poster presentations at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting in Houston this week. During the meeting, Quantabio will showcase the ultra-fast data acquisition capabilities and unrivaled performance of the Q cycler, along with its entire line of sample prep, PCR, RT-PCR, qPCR, and NGS reagents at booth #1626.

The Quantabio team will demonstrate how the companys technology is continuing to accelerate PCR, qPCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) run times, performance and affordability. The company will showcase the following new products:

Co-Lab Scientific PresentationSpeeding up Genomic Discoveries through Innovation: New Fast Library Quant (NGS) and High Fidelity and Long-Range Amplification (PCR)

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18th at 12:45 1:30 pmWHERE: CoLab #3; Booth 1209FOR WHOM: All ASHG attendees are welcome to join. Seating is limitedFEATURED PRESENTER: David Schuster, Senior Director of Research and Development at Quantabio

Scientific PosterRapid and accurate quantification of Illumina NGS libraries using sparQ Fast Library Quant Kit on the Q real-time qPCR instrumentWHEN: Thursday, Oct. 17th at 3:00 4:00 pmWHERE: 1840T

About QuantabioQuantabio is a leading provider of advanced DNA and RNA amplification reagents for the most demanding molecular testing applications in applied, translational and life science research. The Quantabio team leverages decades of experience in developing pioneering amplification technologies to deliver cutting-edge products to researchers focused on critical PCR, qPCR and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) based applications. Based in Beverly, Mass., Quantabio offers a growing portfolio of products through its international sales operations, as well as a global network of distributors and commercial service providers. For more information, please visit http://www.quantabio.com.

The Quantabio products are for Research Use Only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Continue reading here:
Quantabio to Showcase Industry's Fastest qPCR-based NGS Library Quantification Kit and HiFi PCR Mix at American Society of Human Genetics Annual...

The Global Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of USD 453.83 million in 2018 to an estimated value of USD 870.34 million by 2026 registering a CAGR of 8.48% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. Molecular diagnostic market is driven by Increasing incidence of numerous animal diseases and by increasing expenditure on pet animal.

Global Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market By Technology (PCR kits, INAAT kits, Microarray kits, DNA sequencing kits), Product (Instruments & Software, Kits & Reagents, Services), , Animal Type (Companion Animals, Livestock Animals), Disease Indication (Vector-borne Diseases, Respiratory Pathogens Detection, Diarrhea Pathogens Detection, Others), Application (Infectious Diseases, Oncology, Genetics, Microbiology), End-User ( Veterinary Hospitals, Clinical Laboratories, Research Institutes),Geography (Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa) Industry Trends & Forecast to 2026

Get Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-veterinary-molecular-diagnostics-market

Some of the major market competitors currently working in the veterinary molecular diagnostics market are IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., VCA, Inc., Abaxis, Heska Corporation , Zoetis , NEOGEN CORPORATION , Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Virbac, General Electric Company, Agfa-Gevaert Group., Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics, Inc., Novacyt Group, Qiagen , Biomedica Medizinprodukte GmbH & Co KG, Veterinary Laboratory HealthGene Corp. , Bioneer, Abaxis, Neogen Corporatio.

Market Definition: Global Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market

The molecular diagnostic is a laboratory method for examining the RNA or DNA or other proteins in humans and animals which is used to identify diseases or the predisposition stage . The scope of this diagnostic comprises of the various clinical testing devices, supplies and reagents and which are used in hospitals, commercial laboratories, clinics, reference laboratories and research institutes for identifying disease indications for identifying and monitoring. Veterinary molecular diagnostics provides a number of benefits than the other traditional diagnostic techniques like fast shifting time (within 2.53 hours), high test specificity and sensitivity, and better distinction among the birulent and avirulant strains.

Market Drivers:

Market Restraints:

Download Detailed TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-veterinary-molecular-diagnostics-market

Segmentation: Global Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market

By Technology

By Product

By Animal Type

By Disease Indication

By Application

By End-User

By Geography

Key Developments in the Market:

In Jan 2018, Mars Petcare(U.S.) acquired Genoscoper Laboratories(Finland), a specialist in molecular diagnostics for companion animals. This acquisition will help in accelerate discovery of genetic health markers for companion animals.

Competitive Analysis: Global Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market

The global veterinary molecular diagnostics market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of veterinary molecular diagnostics market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Customization of the Report:

Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/inquire-before-buying/?dbmr=global-veterinary-molecular-diagnostics-market

See original here:
Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics Market to Reach at a CAGR of 8.48% by 2026 With NEOGEN CORPORATION , Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Virbac, General...