BioSkryb Announces the Winners of Its Grant Program to Aid Research Using Primary Template-directed Amplification Technology

DURHAM, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) 2021 General Meeting held virtually, BioSkryb, Inc., a developer of genomic amplification technologies, announced the winners of a research grant program sponsored by the company. The grant program was created to accelerate innovation of single-cell genomic studies using the primary template-directed amplification (PTA) technology developed by BioSkryb and now commercially available as ResolveDNA™.

‘The recipients of the BioSkryb research grants are:

  • Dr. Joseph Gleeson, Rady Professor, UCSD Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine
  • Dr. Shao-bin Wang, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine and UVA’s Center for Advanced Vision Science

These winners were chosen for effectively demonstrating the significance of their research, the hypothesis being addressed, and the human condition benefitting from the studies. Each recipient will receive up to $20,000 worth of materials required to perform a whole genome sequencing workflow. This includes a ResolveDNA™ Complete Starter Pack, sequencing of up to eight human cells, access to BaseJumper (BioSkryb’s cloud-based bioinformatics platform), and dedicated technical support.

“We found it extremely inspiring that all of the applicants demonstrated a level of creativity, expertise, and commitment to advancing genomic research that deserved recognition,” said Jay West, Ph.D., CEO and cofounder of BioSkryb. “The research proposals from Drs. Joseph Gleeson and Shao-bin Wang were particularly exceptional in their presentation and potential to reach new heights in genome sequencing applications using PTA, and ultimately pave the way for impactful medical innovations.”

PTA is a novel amplification technology that BioSkryb developed to provide researchers with the required breadth, specificity, and sensitivity to define cellular heterogeneity at the single cell level. It employs controlled reaction parameters to reproducibly recover >95% of the genomes of single cells and low-input samples with high accuracy and uniformity. PTA has been proven to overcome limitations of current whole genome amplification methods and provide a high-quality, scalable, and reliable solution for many single-cell genomic applications, including cancer genomics, cardiology, neurology, immunology, toxicology, bioprocessing, and preimplantation genetic testing.

“We believe that our research related to de novo mutations in children attributed to parental mosaic mutations can really benefit from the use of PTA and all the support provided by BioSkryb through this grant program,” said Dr. Gleeson. “This state-of-the-art single-cell DNA sequencing technology will allow us to test the hypothesis that single sperm extracted from advanced-aged males display significantly more SNVs and INDELs than young-aged males. The results of our study can have great potential in improving reproductive health.”

“We hope to use this grant to explore the correlations between the aberrant activity of mobile elements and human aging disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Wang. “We look forward to using the PTA technology in our efforts to improve human health in the area of aging disorders.”

About BioSkryb

BioSkryb is a venture-backed developer of genomic amplification technologies based in Durham, North Carolina. Its proprietary Primary Template-directed Amplification (PTA) system delivers reproducible, high coverage breadth, and uniformity for various low or ultra-low input sequencing applications. BioSkryb’s products support sequencing library generation produced from limiting samples that have undergone whole genome amplification, resulting in the highest quality genetic analyses available today. For more information, please visit: https://www.bioskryb.com/.

Contacts

Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications, jessica@litldog.com, +1.858.344.8091