Ben Butkus
Ben Butkus is editorial director of GenomeWeb. He covers technologies and trends across the omics landscape with a particular interest in molecular diagnostics, infectious disease, PCR and related nucleic acid amplification technologies, and sample prep.

Articles Authored by Ben Butkus
At ESCMID, Expert Extols New RNA Biomarker, EliTech Assay for Managing CMV Infection Post-Transplant
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The RNA biomarker for monitoring cytomegalovirus infection and therapy efficacy in immunocompromised patients can be quantified with a PCR kit from Bruker's EliTechGroup.

Parasitic Infection, Treatment Could Have Ties to Cervical Cancer, Researchers Report at ESCMID
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The findings point to a potential role for infection with Schistosoma haematobium parasites — and, surprisingly, for their only effective treatment — in cervical cancer.
At the AMP annual meeting last week, a Johns Hopkins researcher detailed an Oxford Nanopore flu sequencing workflow optimized with novel New England Biolabs reagents.
Roche Prepping Fully Automated Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Sequencing Kit for Q1 2025 Launch
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At the AMP annual meeting, Roche previewed the Avenio Tumor Tissue CGP Automated Kit, which runs on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and features a new pan-tumor HRD signature score.
Element Biosciences, Qiagen Targeted NGS Helps ID Urine-Based cfDNA Biomarkers in Breast Cancer
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At the AMP annual meeting, a University Hospital Leipzig researcher described using the NGS workflow to find promising urine-based biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer.
Association for Molecular Pathology 'In Limbo' as FDA Lawsuit Moves Ahead, LDT Regulations Loom
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At the AMP annual meeting this week, leadership briefed members on what to expect as its lawsuit challenging the FDA final rule on laboratory-developed test regulation unfolds.

Natera Reports 52 Percent Spike in Q1 Revenues, Raises Full-Year Guidance
The company beat analysts' estimates on the top and bottom lines with growth driven by increased testing volumes and improvements in average test selling price.
As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic and in newer research, saliva holds promise as an alternative sample type for PCR-based infectious disease testing.

ESCMID Global Panelists Underscore Role of Rapid Dx Testing in Antimicrobial Resistance Battle
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In a BioMérieux-sponsored symposium, economist Lord Jim O'Neill revisited a 2016 report on AMR while experts discussed the use of rapid testing tools such as those offered by the French company.
Spanish Startup DeepUll Unveils MDx Platform, Direct-From-Blood Sepsis Assay at ESCMID Global
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DeepUll showcased its UllCore platform and BSI Test, a one-hour multiplex PCR assay targeting 95 percent of sepsis-causing pathogens and multiple antibiotic resistance genes.
