NEW YORK, April 27 (GenomeWeb News) - Epigenomics said today that it has received €1.1 million ($1.3 million) in funding toward a three-year project from the German Ministry for Education and Research.
The project, which is expected to cost a total of approximately €2.7 million, will involve the design and development of new techniques for high-throughput early cancer screening based on DNA methylation, the company said.
Academic collaborators on the project include the International University of Bremen and the Universität des Saarlandes.
DNA methylation is a crucial gene regulation mechanism, according to the company, and plays an important role in normal cell function. The company uses its HeavyMethyl technology to amplify aberrant DNA methylation patterns that may mark the presence of cancer.