Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Twist Bioscience Synthetic Controls for Respiratory Viruses

Twist Bioscience has added 16 new synthetic controls for common respiratory viruses with symptoms similar to COVID-19, including influenza H1N1, influenza H32N, influenza B, rhinovirus, enterovirus, and several human coronaviruses including a prevalent mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2 (D614G.)

Applications for the products include environmental testing, assay development and verification, and diagnostic test validation.

Twist's controls are designed based on specific viral variants, cover the full viral genomes and are sequence-verified. Controls for alternative viral variants are available as custom products. The firm said RNA synthetic controls should be delivered within two weeks of ordering.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.