Weekly Links April 28 ,2015

“MUST READ”

• Private Eyes in the Grocery Aisles - NYTimes.com
• The annual cost of food-borne illnesses in the United States is $14.1 billion to $16.3 billion, according to a 2013 analysis by the Agriculture Department. The federal government has called for a shift from reaction, which usually means a large recall after people have fallen ill or died, to prevention, to reduce the number of such episodes. Wary customers want their food to be safe and genuine, and food retailers, who rely on a global array of suppliers, are looking for ways to protect their brands.

Food testing sits at the intersection of those desires. Mr. Samadpour, who opened IEH’s first lab in 2001 with six employees, now employs over 1,500 people at 116 labs in the United States and Europe. He refers to his company, one of the largest of its kind in the country, as “a privately financed public health organization.”

TOOLS/TECHNIQUES

• CoreGenomics: Choosing an NGS library prep kit provider

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• there is a lot of choice when it comes to buying something as simple as an NGS library prep kit. With Illumain in mind (as always) I found at least 17 providers. includding: Affymetrix, Agilent, Beckman, Bioo, Enzymatics, Epigentek, Illumina, Kapa, Lucigen, Mclab, Milipore, NEB, NuGen, Qiagen, Rubicon, Swift and Thermo. All these providers offer at least one, if not a whole range, of NGS kits for DNA; and some offer RNA, ChIP, Methlation, etc, etc, etc.
• Live Cell Imaging Techniques Bitesize Bio

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• There is a growing number of live-cell imaging techniques meaning you can get greater amounts of information without stressing out your cells (or yourself). In order to make the choice of which technique is right for you, we have put together a brief guide to the three most common methods for live-cell imaging and have discussed their issues and advantages to help you choose the right one for your needs.
• CoreGenomics: Should you buy a NeoPrep (or any other NGS automation)

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• The main selling point of NeoPrep is that it provides a one-stop solution for NGS library prep. The price point is pretty good (around £30-35k), and speed and quality  looked great in the data presented by Illumina at AGBT (by Gary Schroth and Kevin Meldrum, Illumina have run over 5000 libraries so far); so is NeoPrep a good option for every NGS lab?
• Methods for analysis whole genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes Bitesize Bio

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• there are now techniques to study genomics at the level of a single cell. In this series we are going to look at the different methods available for analysing single cells and highlight some important considerations for those of you interested in single-cell genomics.
• DNA Sequencing Costs

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HEALTH/MEDECINE

• Generic Version of Copaxone, Multiple Sclerosis Drug, Is Approved - NYTimes.com

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• The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first generic substitute for Copaxone, a widely used drug for multiple sclerosis and the biggest-selling product for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

COMPANIES

• Intel, Edico Genome Working to Speed Analysis of Genomic Data | Xconomy

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• By increasing the speed and accuracy of next-generation data analysis, Edico says its computing technology makes it easier to identify DNA sequence variations, and how such variations are linked to human disease

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

• Why shades of Asperger’s Syndrome are the secret to building a great tech company - The Washington Post

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• The individuals who have founded some of the most success tech companies are decidedly weird. Examine the founder of a truly innovative company and you’ll find a rebel without the usual regard for social customs.