Technology & Innovation

Oxford Nanopore Technologies in bid to develop software to help medics diagnose genetic disorders in children

Published by
Giles Gwinnett

Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the life sciences group, is reportedly teaming up with US-based company Fabric Genomics to develop software, which could characterise diseases in babies and children with genetic disorders in hospital intensive care units.

The solution could analyse and report on genomic data and the aim, according to the companies, is to provide insights to medics to help them diagnose rare genetic disorders in children, reported the website MedicalDeviceNetwork.

READ MORE: Oxford Nanopore receives £70m investment from bioMérieux SA and announces Mayo Clinic collaboration

The technology will initially focus on the highest complexity testing on children in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but the companies said they expected to launch additional solutions for late-onset genetic conditions, including cancer and heart disease, it reported.

The idea is that the process will connect UK-based Oxford Nanopore’s EPI2ME sequencing technology with Fabric Genomics AI-driven whole genome sequence solution, it added.

It's been a busy year for Oxford Nanopore. In October, the company revealed a strengthened relationship with French diagnostics giant bioMérieux SA as the latter invested £70 million, via a share subscription, into the Oxford-based company.

The investment followed on from the partnership announced in April this year and will develop products in Oxford Nanopore's portfolio to serve in vitro diagnostics (IVD) markets alongside bioMérieux's commitment to advancing public health around the world.

Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for real-time, scalable analysis of DNA and RNA. It works by monitoring changes to an electrical current as nucleic acids are passed through a protein nanopore.

As part of the bioMérieux deal, the two companies will establish an IVD advisory board to advance nanopore technology into routine clinical use.

In a separate statement, also in October, Oxford Nanopore announced a multi-year joint development collaboration with non-profit group Mayo Clinic to develop new clinical tests for diseases and improve patient care.

In addition, Oxford Nanopore's technology was showcased by tech titan and iPhone maker Apple at the latter's global product launch on October 30 this year.

Visit Hampshire Biz News for bright, upbeat and positive business news from the county

Giles Gwinnett

Giles Gwinnett is a writer at The Business Magazine. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and covered a vast array of topics at a range of media settings - in print and online. After his NCTJ newspaper training, he became a reporter in Hampshire before moving to a news agency in Gloucestershire. In recent years, he has been covering the financial markets along with company news for an investor-focused web portal. His many interests include politics, energy and the environment. He lives in Dorset.

Recent Posts

Four features of the Tech Start Up of the Year

Start Ups are one of the most exciting parts of a thriving tech sector, and…

6 hours ago

Do you know the Young Property Person of the Year?

Though every category at the Thames Valley Property Awards sees a diverse range of entries…

7 hours ago

Baking and British Sign Language courses booming at Warwickshire college

New courses in baking and British Sign Language (BSL) at Royal Leamington Spa College have…

14 hours ago

Bristol’s 9Trees picks up national title at FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has awarded the Micro Business Award to a leading…

14 hours ago

Green light for Allsee Technologies’ Birmingham HQ set to create 150 jobs

Allsee Technologies’ proposed landmark office headquarters and digital technology centre at Longbridge Business Park in…

14 hours ago

Bristol Rovers Community Trust gets show on the road with new luxury minibus

A Bristol community charity has moved into vehicle purchasing for the first time with the…

14 hours ago