Nabsys is preparing to commercialize its single-molecule sequencing technology, the company said last week.
The Providence, RI-based firm has appointed Stan Rose, former CEO of NimbleGen Systems, as its first chief commercial officer, and Jeffrey Sklar, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, to its scientific advisory board (see Paired Ends, this issue).
Nabsys is developing what it calls "positional sequencing" technology, which uses solid-state nanodetectors to analyze single DNA molecules electronically, detecting both the location and identity of DNA sequences over long distances.
The company demonstrated about two years ago that it can measure the distance between known DNA probes hybridized to a long DNA molecule electronically by passing it through a solid-state nanopore (IS 3/16/2010).
Last summer, Nabsys raised $10 million in a Series C financing round to develop its platform.
Nabsys said in a statement that its sequencing technology "is inherently targeted, permitting focused analysis of particular regions of the genome varying in size from that of a single gene up to and including the entire genome."
As applications for the technology, it lists structural variation analysis, genome mapping, as well as targeted and whole-genome sequencing. The firm plans to develop tools for use in cancer genomics research and diagnostics.
In addition, it sees opportunities in applications "ranging from molecular diagnostics to plant breeding" and is currently exploring partnerships to address applications outside the research market.