WuXi NextCode: 药明明码全球基因大数据平台引入Oxford Nanopore测序技术

药明明码全球基因大数据平台引入Oxford Nanopore测序技术

English version WuXi NextCODE Integrates Oxford Nanopore into the Global Platform for Genomic Data.

• 科研人员及临床专家可在药明明码中国领先的综合性CLIA/CAP双认证实验室中体验长读长、以及实时的DNA和RNA测序服务
• 药明明码的合作伙伴能将纳米孔测序与世界领先的基因大数据分析系统结合起来，应对基因组学研究中的挑战，提高全人类的健康水平

中国上海、美国马萨诸塞州坎布里奇和冰岛雷克雅未克，——作为致力于打造全球基因大数据平台的基因研发及应用服务商（CGO），药明康德集团企业药明明码（WuXi NextCODE）今天宣布，在药明明码位于中国上海的国内首家获得CLIA/CAP双认证基因检测实验室中，率先向用户提供基于Oxford Nanopore技术的测序服务。

“我们非常荣幸地向中国学术界及生物医药健康领域介绍Oxford Nanopore测序技术的卓越性能及广阔的应用前景。”药明明码首席执行官 Hannes Smarason先生说，“开创世界领先的技术是药明明码的使命和传统，因此，这些重要的全新基因测序数据在我们的全球平台和上海实验室都将扮演重要的角色。结合药明明码领先的基因大数据分析系统，无论在科学研究还是快速读取、即时诊断领域，纳米孔测序技术必然会引领一系列全新而且功能强大的应用。药明明码和Oxford Nanopore公司邀请中国的研究人员使用这款测序仪，发现它的不足并提出使用意见，不断扩展其应用，以改善世界各地人们的健康及医疗水平。”

Oxford Nanopore公司的CEO Gordon Sanghera博士说：“我们很高兴药明明码将在上海实验室为中国乃至全球用户提供纳米孔测序服务。中国顶尖的科学家可以使用纳米孔技术，无论是研究DNA还是RNA，研究的对象是人、植物、细菌还是微生物宏基因组，都将受益于纳米孔技术的超长读长、实时读取技术以及药明明码独一无二的生物信息分析技术。我们非常期待能够为中国的科学事业贡献我们的一份力量。”

纳米孔测序的工作原理是将DNA的一条链通过纳米级的小孔（“nanopore”），与此同时，纳米孔上会通过离子电流，DNA或RNA的序列由核酸链依次通过小孔过程中电流的变化决定。不同于其他测序技术，Oxford Nanopore公司的技术不需要将基因组提前打断成数百万个几百个碱基长的片段，也不需要进行复杂文库构建，这使得即便使用手掌大小的测序仪也能够快速、经济地生产出长达上万个碱基的读长。目前，来自全世界的科学家们正在尝试使用纳米孔测序仪测出第一条长达100万个碱基读长的序列。此外，该款测序仪还能够用于直接读取RNA和cDNA序列，测通转录本的全长。

关于药明明码
药明康德集团企业药明明码（WuXi NextCODE）由药明康德基因组学中心和精准医学大数据分析的领导者冰岛NextCODE Health公司整合成立，是全球精准医学领域的引领者，致力于运用精准医学大数据改善人类健康。药明明码拥有一体化开放的平台，包括中国首家通过美国CLIA和CAP双重认证的实验室，以及全球唯一经过三十万人全基因组数据验证并优化的NextCODE精准医学大数据分析及解读系统，支持云端及线下使用。药明明码在中国上海、美国和冰岛等地设有分支机构，为世界各地的研究人员、临床医生、健康机构以及个人消费者等提供全面的精准医学整体解决方案。助力全球合作伙伴加速药物研发、诊断试剂开发、降低人类出生缺陷、提高罕见病诊断和其他精准医学的临床应用。更多新闻和信息，请访问www.wuxinextcode.com。

WuXi NextCODE Integrates Oxford Nanopore into the Global Platform for Genomic Data.

• Long-read, real-time DNA and RNA sequencing now available to researchers and clinical scientists through China’s preeminent and most comprehensive CLIA/CAP laboratory

• WuXi NextCODE partners can now combine nanopore sequencing and the world’s leading informatics to solve genomics challenges with the potential to improve health

SHANGHAI; CAMBRIDGE, Mass.; REYKJAVIK, Iceland, – WuXi NextCODE, the contract genomics organization providing the global standard platform for genomic data, today announced the first open-access installation of Oxford Nanopore instruments in a CAP/CLIA lab in China – at WuXi NextCODE’s sequencing laboratory in Shanghai.

“We are honored to introduce Oxford Nanopore’s pathbreaking capabilities to the breadth of the scientific and medical community in China,” said Hannes Smarason, CEO of WuXi NextCODE. “Pioneering access to world-leading leading technology is at the heart of our mission and tradition, so this important new source of sequence data has an important place in our global platform and Shanghai lab. Coupled with our informatics it promises to open new and powerful applications from discovery to rapid, direct-read diagnostics. We and Oxford Nanopore invite researchers across China to use it, challenge it, and extend its applications to improve health and medicine here and around the world.”

“We are delighted that WuXi NextCODE will be offering nanopore sequencing to its clientele across China and the world through its Shanghai laboratory,” said Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore. “China’s world-class scientists can use nanopore technology whether they are researching DNA or RNA, human, plant, bacteria or microbiomes, all of which benefit from ultra-long reads and direct real-time sequencing, and also access WuXi NextCODE’s renowned informatics. We look forward to contributing to great science in China.”

Nanopore sequencing works by passing a strand of DNA through a nano-scale hole (“nanopore”) while passing an ionic current through that hole. The sequence of DNA or RNA is determined by measuring variations in the current as strands pass through the nanopore. Unlike other sequencing techniques, it does not require cutting genomes into millions of fragments only hundreds of bases long and preparing them with primers and reagents. As a result, even single handheld instruments can quickly and economically produce reads that are hundreds of thousands of bases long, and users around the world are now attempting to achieve the first one million-base read. The same instruments can also be used to sequence RNA directly or sequence cDNA, producing full length transcripts.

About WuXi NextCODE

WuXi NextCODE is a fully integrated contract genomics organization building the global standard platform for genomic data. With offices in Shanghai; Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Reykjavik, Iceland, we serve the leading population genomics, precision medicine, diagnostics and wellness initiatives and enterprises using the genome to improve health around the world. Our capabilities span study design, sequencing, secondary analysis, storage, and interpretation and scalable analytics – all backed by the most proven and widely used technology for organizing, mining and sharing genome sequence data. We are also applying the same capabilities to advance a growing range of sequence-based tests and scans in China. WuXi NextCODE is a WuXi Group company. Visit us on the web at www.wuxinextcode.com.