Thursday, May 17, 2012

AGRF Implements GenoLogics LIMS for Illumina NGS

Australian Genome Research Facility Implements GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NG


May 16, 2012

Rapid implementation is a key advantage of the GenoLogics LIMS offering

VICTORIA, British Columbia ─ May 16, 2012 ─ GenoLogics, a leading provider of laboratory information management system (LIMS) software specifically designed for next-generation omics labs, announced today that the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) has implemented the GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS and is now in full production using the system. The LIMS will help the lab manage the increased throughput and data generated by AGRF’s sequencing systems.

AGRF, Australia’s largest provider of genomics services and solutions, was one of the first genome research facilities to purchase the Preconfigured Package, which significantly speeds implementation times for labs with Illumina NGS systems, while providing maximum flexibility to interface with other instruments.

“AGRF is experiencing a period of rapid growth as we deploy new NGS systems and expand our array of sequencing services in the region,” said Dr. Stephen Wilcox, National Operations Manager at AGRF. “We needed a system that would allow us to manage the increased data and one that could be implemented relatively quickly. The GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS was a clear choice, as the preconfigured workflows suited our needs.”

AGRF has expanded its next-generation sequencing services and currently has five Illumina HiSeq 2000 instruments that form part of a suite of NGS instruments at the facility. To manage the resulting data deluge and seamlessly integrate with other relevant instrumentation, AGRF decided to deploy a new LIMS. The GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS was selected because of its sample tracking capabilities, automated QC, preconfigured workflows that incorporate best practices, improved reporting, and fast implementation time.

“AGRF is a recognized leader in genomics service provision, and we look forward to working with the company as it continues to expand its NGS and desktop sequencing,” stated Michael Ball, CEO at GenoLogics. “By providing a preconfigured LIMS that offers customization capabilities, GenoLogics is well-positioned to meet the increasing demands of sequencing centers.”

About the GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina Next-Gen Sequencing

The GenoLogics Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS offers the industry’s tightest LIMS integration to Illumina’s complete line of NGS systems upon installation. It moves labs into full production faster with de facto standard workflows and best practices, enabling labs to realize value within weeks, rather than months or years. For more information on the Preconfigured Package for Illumina NGS, visit our website at http://genologics.com/Illumina-preconfig

About Australian Genome Research Facility

Australian Genome Research Facility, a not-for-profit company, is Australia's largest provider of genomics services and solutions. From microbes to plants, animals and humans, AGRF provides a full range of services across the entire biological spectrum. AGRF has laboratories in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, each providing a gateway to a national network of state-of-the-art facilities, technology and expertise. AGRF clients include leading academic institutions and organizations in bioscience, environmental science, biomedicine and agricultural biotechnology. AGRF is accredited by NATA to the internationally recognized ISO/IEC17025:2005 quality standard. AGRF is also a qualified Illumina Certified Service Provider (CSPro).

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Persistent Systems and TGen Collaborate on Biospecimens Management Bio4D Software

New Biospecimens Management System in Development

Persistent Systems and TGen collaborate on Bio4D software program; System will provide timely information for oncologists about patient care 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and PHOENIX, Ariz. — May 14, 2012 — Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT), the leader in outsourced software product development (OPD) services, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced that they are developing a high-quality biospecimen management system called Bio4D.

Initial versions of the Bio4D software, created to manage biological repositories for genetic and genomic research, have been used at TGen in the investigation of the underlying causes of disease.
Now, Persistent Systems and TGen are developing a robust commercial version of Bio4D to manage the collection, processing, storage, distribution and analysis of biospecimens, which includes blood, DNA, and tissue samples, including samples from cancer biopsies.

Systems such as Bio4D are critical to the advancement of personalized medicine, in which physicians guide care based on the genetic profile of each patient.

“Ultimately, tools like Bio4D have the potential to transform the management of biospecimens and supporting research data in a way that speeds information between researchers and oncologists,” said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen’s President and Research Director. “Accelerating this process is one more way we can benefit patients.”

A key component of Bio4D will be its ease of use. Unlike generic LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems), Bio4D will be equipped with features and functionality specifically designed for the needs of biobank scientists and biospecimen managers.

“Bio4D’s design tool greatly simplifies the study and data collection process, enforces good biospecimen management practices and compliance with global regulatory requirements,” said Peter Boler, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Persistent Systems. “The solution’s web-based technology means oncologists will be able to access data and system analysis results in real time from any industry standard Web browsers including IE, Firefox, Safari, etc. and operating systems such as MS Windows, MAC, Linux and Unix, making it easier than ever before to mine information and develop correlative analyses.”

Bio4D’s search abilities will include clinical and molecular profile parameters, using a set of filters that could help lead to the discovery or validation of biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutics. Bio4D has the potential to accelerate discovery in the laboratory, and help translate that information to oncologists working with clinical patients.

Bio4D is also being designed to help address high levels of regulatory, ethical and legal scrutiny that surrounds the biomedical management of biospecimens in association with clinical and non-clinical trials.
Today’s announcement about Bio4D is being made in conjunction with the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) 2012 Annual Meeting, May 15-18, 2012, at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, B.C.

About Persistent Systems:
Established in 1990, Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT) is a global company specializing in software product development services. For more than two decades, Persistent has been an innovation partner for the world’s largest technology brands, leading enterprises and pioneering start-ups. With a global team of 6,600+ employees, Persistent has 350+ customers spread across North America, Europe, and Asia. Today, Persistent focuses on developing best-in-class solutions in four key next-generation technology areas: Cloud Computing, Mobility, BI& Analytics, Collaboration across technology, telecommunications, life sciences, consumer packaged goods, banking & financial services and healthcare verticals. For more information, please visit: www.persistentsys.com


About TGen:
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Remedy Informatics to Debut SpecimenTrack at ISBER 2012 Annual Meeting

SpecimenTrack enables biobanks, clinicians, and labs engaged in multicenter collaboration to break down data silos and unlock the value of biorepository data for translational research

SALT LAKE CITY – May 11, 2012 – Remedy Informatics, Inc. further strengthened its position as the leader in life science and translational research informatics today with its announcement of revolutionary new biorepository informatics software, SpecimenTrack™.  Remedy will offer demonstrations of SpecimenTrack at the upcoming International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) 2012 Annual Meeting & Exhibit May 15-17, in Vancouver, BC, Canada (Booth #15).

At the core of SpecimenTrack is intuitive management of biorepository workflows in sample collection, inventory, processing, and distribution with particular emphasis on saving time through reduced complexity and ease of use with a modern, web-based application that facilitates collaboration.  To keep pace with changing biorepository informatics needs, SpecimenTrack has configurable sample types, storage containers, and workflow automation templates that can be easily modified by researchers without software coding. Further, SpecimenTrack plugs into Investigate™, Remedy’s translational informatics system that breaks down traditional barriers between sample management, study management, lab information management systems, electronic lab notebooks, and clinical registries.

“We built SpecimenTrack with the recognition that biorepositories cannot stand alone in translational research; they have a central role in enabling connectivity between lab and clinic far beyond a logistical collection of freezers and samples. There is vast potential in both high quality biospecimens and metadata currently locked up in biorepositories around the world that, if properly integrated, can drive benchside research, drug discovery, and clinical outcomes,” said Hank Wu, Director of Translational Informatics for Remedy Informatics. “The dual informatics challenges of Translational Research 2.0 are to connect and harmonize traditionally separate data sets and disciplines from the lab, clinic, and biobank, and to enable researchers to conduct deep interpretation of the data with powerful pattern recognition tools. SpecimenTrack coupled with Investigate represents a significant leap forward for biobanks and translational research institutions by giving them powerful tools to maximize the research potential of biospecimens.”

Built on the powerful Mosaic™ Platform, SpecimenTrack and Investigate are highly configurable research management software that enable researchers to customize data capture forms, workflows, visual queries, dashboards, and data models to their specific needs. Core to the platform is the Mosaic™ Ontology, which enables researchers to harmonize and map data from disparate data sources, and to adapt the data model to changing research needs over time by adding new terms and concepts. Together, SpecimenTrack and Investigate enable translational researchers to natively connect biospecimen data into benchside and bedside research.

“As we work to improve researchers’ ability to discern and discover patterns in their research it is essential that we provide the tools for them to access all available data so they can gain a true 360-degree view of the biological systems that impact disease,” said Gary Kennedy, Founder & CEO of Remedy Informatics. “SpecimenTrack focuses on biobanking but it is also an integral part of the 360-degree whole to help researchers discover the patterns hidden in their data, and ultimately to take giant leaps forward in medical innovation.”

SpecimenTrack and Investigate are both currently being implemented by two leading translational research institutions: (1) The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, a flagship set of ten laboratories of the National Cancer Institute with particular focus on next-generation sequencing and ‘omics technologies; and (2) the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), where integrated lab, biospecimen, and study management will play a key role in research on auto-immune disorders, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and many other disorders.

Remedy will demonstrate SpecimenTrack with Investigate at BOOTH #15 at the ISBER 2012 Annual Meeting and Exhibit in Vancouver, BC, Canada May 15 – 17.

About Remedy Informatics, Inc.
Remedy Informatics, Inc. is the leading provider of clinical registries, disease registries, medical research software, and research informatics products that accelerate translational medicine discoveries from bench to bedside. Remedy offers a wide range of configurable “off the shelf” biomedical informatics products that are built on the powerful Mosaic™ Platform. Remedy’s mission is to tangibly, measurably and permanently improve the effectiveness of Life Science Research in the United States and across the globe. For more information visit: www.remedyinformatics.com.