NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Roche said this week that a paper published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Infectious Disease demonstrated that ultra-deep sequencing with 454 Life Sciences' sequencing system was able to identify low-frequency hepatitis B virus drug-resistant mutations in infected samples, including mutations that were undetected using standard direct PCR sequencing methods.
BioReference Laboratories said that it is offering next-generation sequencing testing for dilated cardiomyopathy conditions through its GeneDx lab. Though the firm did not specify in its statement which next-gen sequencing technology it was using for the tests, BRL disclosed last summer that GeneDx had developed a sequencing-based test for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on Illumina's Genome Analyzer.
Sidmap said this week that two undisclosed Japanese pharmaceutical firms will use its metabolomics and biomarker development services in studies of drug candidates for diabetes, obesity, and neurological disorders.
IDBS announced that Germany-based BSL Bioservice Scientific Laboratories has purchased its E-Workbook and biology extension, BioBook, for use in conducting preclinical drug studies.
The CCDU Bioinformatics Core of the Center for Computational Medicine and Biology at the University of Michigan has installed a Genomatix Genome Analyzer at its labs in Ann Arbor, Mich.
GeneNews presented the results of a study on the cost effectiveness of its ColonSentry test this week at the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health Symposium in Ottawa. The firm said that the study showed that its colorectal cancer screening test was cost effective compared to fecal occult blood testing and no screening.
The Grow Iowa Values Fund is providing a $60,000 grant to Pramod Mahajan of Drake University to help create a Pharmacogenomics Research and Training Lab by August 2010, according to the Des Moines Register.