Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: "Oxford Nanopore Technologies announces participation in €12m READNA project"

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Abstract:
- Consortium to improve DNA analysis technologies launches under EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) -

Oxford Nanopore Technologies announces participation in €12m READNA project

Oxford, UK | Posted on December 3rd, 2008

Oxford Nanopore Technologies ("Oxford Nanopore") today announced its participation in the Revolutionary Approaches and Devices for Nucleic Acid analysis project (READNA). The newly-launched READNA consortium includes researchers from 16 academic and industrial institutions and will receive €12m in funding over four years, under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

As part of the consortium, Oxford Nanopore will receive €730,000 in grant funding to support the development of its nanopore technology into an early exonuclease/nanopore DNA sequencing system. The Company will also work on projects to integrate protein nanopores and solid-state materials for the further progression of nanopore sequencing, the development of a new technique that uses nanopores for genome-wide methylation studies and the development of droplet-based bilayer arrays for rapid, multiplexed genotyping.

Oxford Nanopore will collaborate closely with researchers from the University of Oxford, including Professor Hagan Bayley's Chemical Biology group, the Biological Physics group and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. The University will receive €2m to support READNA projects.

"We are proud to be part of the READNA project, which includes representatives from Europe's leading research institutions and developers of genomic technologies," said Dr Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore. "The consortium aims to revolutionise nucleic acid analysis. Our role as the developer of a new generation of sequencing technology, based on nanopores, is critical to the project. With support also being given to our academic collaborators, we believe we are in the best position to deliver a meaningful improvement in sequencing technology with our label-free, single-molecule nanopore system."

The READNA consortium aims to revolutionise the analysis of nucleic acids by the improvement of existing methods and the development of new technologies.

Specific goals of the project include:

* Development of a new generation of rapid and cost effective sequencing methodologies
* Single molecule detection of DNA molecules in nanosystems using nanopores and nanochannels
* Improvement of elements of existing sequencing systems
* Methods for the detection and the enrichment of rare mutations from peripheral patient samples
* Combining RNA and DNA analysis in a single analytical device
* Development of methods for genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation at a high resolution
* Development of cost-effective high resolution HLA typing
* Development of assays for effective high-resolution genotyping of copy number variations

Overall, the project aims to progress towards a target of sequencing a complete human genome for €1000; the promotion of new sequencing technologies is central to this goal.

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About Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore is developing nanopore technology, a revolutionary method of molecular detection and analysis with potential for DNA sequencing, diagnostics, drug development and defence applications.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Dr Gordon Sanghera
+44 (0) 870 486 1966
CEO
or
Zoe McDougall
+44 (0) 870 486 1966
Communications

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