Diagnostic Precision

A SeraCare blog focused on precision medicine and advanced clinical diagnostics

Choose your Article Focus | NGS | Molecular & Serology

Keep Calm and Standardize On

Category: qc management, QC Challenges, QC Management Software, NGS

Posted by Peter Duncan on Oct 5, 2018 12:00:00 AM
There is that old adage that says the only thing that is constant is change. This is one of those universal truths we have all come to accept. Heck, even Dunkin' Donuts, widely credited as being the inventor of the word “Donut,” is dropping the word from their brand name. Blasphemy! But that is for another blog...
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Is Your NGS-Based Assay on the Right TRK?

Category: qc management, QC Management Software, NGS, RNA fusion, reference materials

Posted by Trevor Brown on Oct 9, 2017 12:00:00 AM
Despite the absence of clear guidelines or firmly established best practices, next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays are becoming the method of choice for gene fusion detection. This is significant because, although some of the cancers that contain fusion RNAs are rare, they’re now treatable thanks to new targeted therapies. If your assay can detect fusion RNAs, it can help profile tumors for important diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets, which can lead to improved patient outcomes. The old FISH method limited you to one type of fusion variant at a time; it was effective, but also slow and cumbersome. With the latest NGS techniques, detecting fusion RNAs is more efficient than ever. It’s more sensitive and can detect multiple fusions in the same assay. Nevertheless, it’s still challenging because of the complex workflows and the need to rigorously ensure performance across all fusion variants. From extraction, to library prep, to sequencing, to the bioinformatics pipeline, there are countless points where something could go wrong.
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