SomaGenics Launches Its RealSeq®-biofluids Kit and Advances Liquid Biopsy Development With New NIH Funding for cf-miRNA NGS Technology
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SomaGenics announced the launch of RealSeq®-biofluids, a next-generation sequencing (NGS) library construction kit sensitive enough to detect small RNAs from cell-free biofluids. Further enhancing its efforts in the liquid biopsy arena, SomaGenics has received a 3-year Phase II SBIR grant from the NIH for the development of RealSeq®-T, a technology enabling extraction-free, targeted NGS of small RNAs directly from biofluids.
RealSeq®-biofluids is a NGS discovery method built on SomaGenics' bias-free RealSeq® technology for small RNA library construction. "Our new kit enables researchers to sequence small RNAs from as little as 50 µl of plasma or other biofluids," explains Dr. Sergio Barberan-Soler, Senior Scientist at SomaGenics. "RealSeq®-biofluids takes advantage of our patented single adapter ligation/circularization method, eliminating library bias that is known to be inherent in conventional small RNA NGS approaches," according to Dr. Barberan-Soler. SomaGenics' RealSeq® technology avoids the highly biased intermolecular 5'-adapter ligation step employed in conventional methods, dramatically improving its sensitivity, accuracy and dynamic range.
"In addition to the newly released biofluids kit, SomaGenics' recently awarded SBIR Phase II grant supports our efforts to develop platforms for liquid biopsy," said Dr. Brian Johnston, SomaGenics' CEO. "RealSeq®-T, which is also based on our RealSeq® NGS technology platform, eliminates total RNA extraction, a source of inefficient and variable recovery in cell free (cf)-small RNA sequencing," explains Dr. Johnston. RealSeq®-T's targeted approach significantly reduces the required sequencing coverage for many applications by focusing reads on a user-defined set of small RNAs (up to hundreds), including cf-miRNAs. By eliminating unwanted reads, RealSeq®-T allows for accurate detection of small RNAs at the extremely low concentrations present in biofluids while decreasing the cost per assay. RealSeq®-T is fully customizable, supporting a broad array of applications including custom diagnostic panels or liquid biopsy assays addressing disease-specific cf-miRNA signatures.
SomaGenics is a privately held biotech company specializing in developing innovative technologies that focus on RNA molecules as therapeutic agents and targets as well as biomarkers. The Company's RNA analysis platforms include miR-ID®, a novel circularization-based RT-qPCR method, miR-Direct® for microRNA analysis directly from biofluids, as well as the RealSeq® family of technologies for non-biased small RNA library construction for next generation sequencing.
For media inquiries please contact Anne Scholz, VP Business Development 831-426-7700 x20, [email protected] or visit somagenics.com.
SOURCE SomaGenics, Inc.
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