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Thermo Fisher Immune Repertoire, Liquid Biopsy NGS Assays

Thermo Fisher has launched the Ion AmpliSeq Immune Repertoire Assay Plus, TCR Beta, a research-use-only, multi-target sequencing panel for immuno-oncology applications. The new panel can be run from sample to analysis in as little as 48 hours, with up to 400-bp read-length amplicons for complete characterization of CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3, according to the company's website.

The company also launched the Ion Torrent Oncomine Lung Cell-Free Total Nucleic Acid Research Asssay, which includes fusion markers associated with lung cancer, including ALK, RET, and ROS1, in addition to DNA, RNA hotspots, copy number variants and MET exon 14 skipping. Thermo Fisher also updated the Ion Torrent Oncomine Breast cfDNA Research Assay. Version 2 now includes new CNVs, more complete coverage of key tumor suppressor gene TP53 and additional SNVs and indels. From a single tube of blood, researchers can use the assays to detect primary tumor drivers and mutations known to cause therapeutic resistance down to 0.1 percent limit of detection, the company said.

Thermo Fisher announced the new products in conjunction with the announcement that it has formed an Immuno-Oncology Consortium to drive adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) clinical research panels for the identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers associated with cancer immunotherapy.

The Scan

Latent HIV Found in White Blood Cells of Individuals on Long-Term Treatments

Researchers in Nature Microbiology find HIV genetic material in monocyte white blood cells and in macrophages that differentiated from them in individuals on HIV-suppressive treatment.

Seagull Microbiome Altered by Microplastic Exposure

The overall diversity and the composition at gut microbiome sites appear to coincide with microplastic exposure and ingestion in two wild bird species, according to a new Nature Ecology and Evolution study.

Study Traces Bladder Cancer Risk Contributors in Organ Transplant Recipients

In eLife, genome and transcriptome sequencing reveal mutation signatures, recurrent somatic mutations, and risky virus sequences in bladder cancers occurring in transplant recipients.

Genes Linked to White-Tailed Jackrabbits' Winter Coat Color Change

Climate change, the researchers noted in Science, may lead to camouflage mismatch and increase predation of white-tailed jackrabbits.