Business in Brief

Express Diagnosis
 

KSL Beutner Laboratories has launched a highly accurate indirect immunofluorescence serum blood test to detect laminin 332, which is associated with the chronic autoimmune disease mucous membrane pemphigoid (1). The assay means that people with the condition won’t have to wait months for a diagnosis; the process could be reduced to 72 hours or less.

Two is Better than One
 

DNAnexus and Twist Bioscience have announced a collaboration to accelerate research and reduce the time it takes to design, validate, and commercialize novel next-generation sequencing-based tests (2). The partnership will enable customers to combine the integrated DNAnexus platform with two of Twist Bioscience’s products to simplify post-sequencing data analysis.

Variant-Proof Plan
 

Funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a consortium partnership has been announced between ExcellGene, Bharat Biotech, and the University of Sydney (3). It aims to advance a new vaccine concept that provides cross-reactive protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and other betacoronaviruses.

Going Viral
 

Georgetown University has been awarded US$12.5 million from the National Science Foundation to establish a collaborative institute dedicated to researching and advancing education on viral emergence (4). The Verena Biology Integration Institute aims to develop cross-disciplinary research and train scientists at all career stages on the host-virus network, as well as on core scientific skills.

Do No Harm
 

The US FDA is reassessing its requirement for products under its jurisdiction to undergo animal testing – suggesting that new alternative methods, such as microphysiological sysems with cellular and computational models, may provide better results and bring products to market faster without the associated ethical concerns (5).