Fintech PR
MGI: Closing the Cancer Care Gap with the Power of Precision Oncology
BERLIN, Feb. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — According to American Cancer Society, Cancer causes about 1 in every 6 deaths globally, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Today, it is the first or second leading cause of death in most countries around the world. Technological advances in genomics have enabled the identification and improved understanding of causal factors and shed light on precision oncology.
February 4 marks World Cancer Day, an initiative aimed at promoting awareness on cancer as a public health issue and improving access to quality care, screening, early detection, therapy, and palliative care for those affected.
In this new era in precision oncology, researchers like Dr. Marie-Laure Yaspo from ALACRIS Theranostics (“ALACRIS”) and Dr. Xuan Gao and Dr.Huan Fang from GenePlus are working towards closing the care gap with evidence-based strategies in cancer control along the care continuum, from prevention to treatment, with help from MGI’s cutting-edge life science technologies.
ALACRIS innovates with its advanced tumor-agnostic molecular diagnostic test augmenting tailored treatment options
At ALACRIS Theranostics in Germany, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Marie-Laure Yaspo and her team are committed to provide every cancer patient with the highest standard of care through the Comprehensive Molecular Cancer Analysis (CMTA), a unique molecular diagnostic test designed to identify the best personalized treatment options for each patient, based on high-throughput sequencing of the exome (or genome) and transcriptome of their tumor.
“From past research in cancer genomics projects, we learned how complex and unique the molecular landscape of every tumor can be,” said Dr. Yaspo as she recalled her 12+ years in molecular genetics prior to establishing ALACRIS. “Only by collecting comprehensive information on the tumor landscape can we further develop and enhance personalized therapy.”
“Every patient is unique, every tumor is different,” added Dr. Yaspo. To capture this individuality, the CMTA technology integrates two layers of sequence data, DNA (genome or exome) and RNA (transcriptome), for a comprehensive analysis of the clinically relevant alterations in every tumor. In addition to mutations and chromosome copy number alterations, key features such as gene fusions, overexpressed oncogenes, immune microenvironment, and more provide essential information for the evaluation of the best therapeutic options.
“Starting from a tumor biopsy, the end-to-end Alacris-CMTA® process generates high-throughput sequencing data with MGI’s highly accurate and reliable platforms and deploys Alacris’s advanced bioinformatics analysis pipelines to deliver a comprehensive, interpreted tumor profiling report,” said Dr. Yaspo. “We interprete actionable alterations and match those with drug databases”, delivered a concise report guiding oncologists to design personalized therapies. The CMTA® fits the patient’s journey, and is particularly well suited for patients with refractory or rare cancers in need of treatment options. to improve their outcome.”
Back in 2022, MGI launched a Customer Experience Center at ALACRIS’s Berlin-based facility equipped with MGI’s DNBSEQ-G400* sequencer, MGISP-960 automation system and more. Not long after, in 2023, a new DNBSEQ-T7* sequencer was installed to further support the facility’s sequencing needs, including pediatric leukemias.
“The time that patients have is limited and precious. The faster we get sequencing samples analyzed, the sooner they can receive personalized treatment,” said Dr. Yaspo. “MGI platforms’ high flexibility and quick turnaround enable us to provide reliable diagnostics for a large number of patients. Its cost-effectiveness also makes it easier for more people to benefit from affordable and accessible cancer services, thereby contributing to better healthcare.”
GenePlus’ NGS total solution helps match cancer patients to precise therapy
Meanwhile in China, the team at GenePlus, including Dr. Xuan Gao and Dr. Huan Fang, Assistant Directors of the company’s Genomics Institute, has been studying tumor detection and intervention to help clinicians determine the safest and most effective treatment for cancer patients through clinical and scientific research.
“Having witnessed the pain and torment of someone close who suffered from cancer, I was determined to devote myself to cancer precision medicine,” said Dr. Gao. “In the 6+ years I’ve been in the field, high-throughput sequencing technology has rapidly promoted the development of tumor genomics research, giving us a better understanding of the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms of tumors, and thereby providing new targets and combination therapy options to alleviate patients’ suffering.”
Given the inherent complexity and heterogeneity of cancer, as well as its risks of genetic mutation, tumors are constantly evolving, which leads to drug resistance during treatment. Although the stratification of patients has been refined, there still lacks specific, tailor-made therapy options. At the same time, many advances in the field have yet to reach the masses due to high costs and insufficient clinical trial design and data. “MGI’s technology plays a critical role in helping us expanding precise tumor tests and genome-driven drug strategies for patients, including those who currently cannot use targeted therapy,” added Dr. Gao.
The GenePlus NGS total solution, which includes certified kits, library workshops, genetic sequencers, and the GeneBox informatic platform, facilitates faster, simpler and more reliable cancer sequencing. Benefitting from DNBSEQ’s high quality, accuracy and cost-effectiveness, the solution creates a pipeline of tumor precision medication, whole-process case, and pathogen detection. To date, it has been deployed in more than 30 key hospitals in China, where it is applied to the analysis of tumors and pathogens, serving over 550,000 patients in need of accurate diagnosis and treatment.
“Based on MGI’s DNBSEQ technology, our solution has low amplification error rate and high data utilization rate, which are crucial for ultra-deep sequencing of low-concentration or low-quality oncology samples,” said Dr. Fang. “We leverage this for targeting and immunotherapy guidance in advanced patients and drug sensitivity prediction and cancer minimum residual disease monitoring.”
The development of precision oncology has transformed how we approach the cancer care continuum – from prevention to detection, to diagnosis and treatment – for patients who are not only looking to survive but also to do so with an optimal quality of life. Supported by MGI, both CMTA® by ALACRIS and the GenePlus NGS total solution are laying the foundation for precise cancer control and ensuring all patients can enjoy effective, reliable, and affordable care for improved outcomes.
About MGI
MGI Tech Co. Ltd. (or its subsidiaries, together referred to MGI), headquartered in Shenzhen, is committed to building core tools and technology to lead life science through intelligent innovation. Based on its proprietary technology, MGI focuses on research & development, production and sales of sequencing instruments, reagents, and related products to support life science research, agriculture, precision medicine and healthcare. MGI is a leading producer of clinical high-throughput gene sequencers, and its multi-omics platforms include genetic sequencing, medical imaging, and laboratory automation. MGI’s mission is to develop and promote advanced life science tools for future healthcare. For more information, please visit the MGI website or connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.
- For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
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Fintech PR
Enabling Regenerative Agriculture for Independent Smallholders in Indonesia: The BIPOSC Project, in Collaboration with Musim Mas, L3F, SNV Indonesia, and ICRAF
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Musim Mas Group, the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (L3F), SNV Indonesia, and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) are collaborating to improve the knowledge and capacity of independent oil palm smallholders through the Biodiverse & Inclusive Palm Oil Supply Chain (BIPOSC) project.
The project began in 2021 and takes a long-term approach to sustain a deforestation-free supply chain, regenerate degraded land, restore local biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of independent smallholder farmers in Labuhanbatu, North Sumatra. BIPOSC will achieve this through implementing regenerative agriculture, locally adapted agroforestry models, capacity-building for sustainable businesses, and others.
The independent palm smallholders taking part previously received complementary training from Musim Mas. Following the training, these smallholders formed a smallholder’s association, Labuhanbatu Independent Oil Palm Smallholders Association (APSKS LB), North Sumatra. Musim Mas encourages smallholders to form associations to get better access to resources and obtain certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO).
“Musim Mas has long saw that smallholders are key to achieving palm oil sustainability, and that’s why we lead Indonesia’s most extensive smallholder program. We believe that the way forward is to collaborate with more partners to achieve a wider impact. With our BIPOSC partners, we hope to advance the skills and knowledge of smallholders through regenerative agriculture and related techniques. Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry have the potential to help smallholders be part of a sustainable palm oil supply chain. It could help them develop alternative sources of income, especially during the replanting period where their palm oil crops are unproductive, typically for three years,” said Rob Nicholls, General Manager, Projects & Programs, Musim Mas Group.
In the face of climate change and threatened biodiversity, regenerative agriculture can play a role for small farms because it maintains soil health, prevents erosion and water runoff, and can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leakage.
“As a global development partner organization, SNV aims to support Indonesia in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this, we need to implement effective and impactful programs to transform agricultural and food systems, energy, and water. In the BIPOSC program, we promote a comprehensive regenerative agriculture and agroforestry model to maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, providing maximum benefits for farmers’ livelihoods and economy,” said Rizki Pandu Permana, Country Director of SNV Indonesia.
The key regenerative agriculture techniques taught include the application of bio-input, mulching to protect topsoil, planting cover crops, integrated pest management that reduces the need for chemical pesticides, and application of compost that reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers needed. To date, 1,032 independent smallholders received training and implement these techniques on their farms, representing a total land with a total area of 1,063.68 hectares. The project trained 25 village facilitators to provide hands-on assistance to smallholders, and seven demo plots established as pilot areas and learning facilities for regenerative agriculture.
“When I visited palm oil smallholders a few years ago in the area, their biggest concern was access to more fertilizers. While fertilizers play a key role in boosting yields, there was a noticeable gap in understanding how to protect the soil from long-term degradation. Smallholders needed more knowledge about maintaining soil health, preserving soil structure, and other critical factors. This is exactly what the BIPOSC project aimed to address, and we’re pleased to see that the farmers involved are now reporting not only higher yields but also healthier soils on their plots,” said Bernard Giraud, President & Co-Founder, Livelihoods.
The projectalso looks into capacity-building. In addition to home composting, the project enabled the local farmer association, APSKS LB, to develop and manage a composting unit with a capacity of 100-150 tons/month. Producing compost at scale with inputs from nearby mills and farmer plots, the unit offers compost to member farmers at half of typical market prices. In 2023, its first year of operation, the unit produced 588 tons of compost, and generated a profit of IDR 421 million. The project partners believe it is a model that can be replicated elsewhere.
“One of the most impactful outcomes of this project for smallholders is the Composting Unit as the business model around it. It enables smallholders to obtain compost affordably, and the profits are shared among member farmers. This is a practical solution to promote the adoption of composting, and all ASPKS-LB smallholders are now using compost in their plots,” said Syahrianto, Chairman of the Labuanbatu Independent Oil Palm Smallholders Association.
As of 2023, independent smallholders manage about 41% of oil palm planted areas in Indonesia, representing 6.94 million hectares. This figure is expected to increase to 60% by 2030, making projects like BIPOSC critical in shaping the future of sustainable palm oil production.
Devane Sharma
[email protected]
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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to provide Indonesian customers with real-time international money transfer capabilities. This collaboration aims to enhance the cross-border offerings for BRI’s individual and corporate customers, delivering more accessible and cost-effective financial services across Indonesia.
This partnership empowers more than 150 million BRI account holders, including those in remote regions of Indonesia, to access modern, real-time cross-border payment services. The offering includes a variety of real-time payment mechanisms, supporting bank account destinations, a global electronic card network, and digital wallets. These innovations are closely aligned with BRI’s ongoing mission to provide affordable and customer-focused financial products, particularly for traditionally underserved communities.
BRI’s Corporate Secretary, Agustya Hendy Bernadi, emphasized BRI’s dedication to constantly improving customer convenience through innovations in its global network and cross-border transaction services. “This collaboration reflects BRI’s continuous efforts to enhance productivity and efficiency by expanding its digital payment channel network to meet the growing demand for global transactions,” he said. Agustya added that the partnership with Nium aligns perfectly with BRI’s vision to be Southeast Asia’s most valuable banking group and a champion of financial inclusion by 2025. “With Nium’s global transaction network, BRI strengthens the digitalization of its business processes and enhances retail banking capabilities in line with our 2025 strategic vision.”
Anupam Pahuja, General Manager and Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, shared his excitement about the partnership, highlighting BRI’s extensive presence across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. “By integrating Nium’s advanced technology into BRI’s platform, we are dedicated to providing BRI’s customers, no matter where they are, with access to exceptional financial services. This partnership will remove the risks associated with cash handling and provide faster, more cost-effective transactions—whether individuals are sending money to family members abroad or businesses are making international payments.”
Cross-border payments are projected to grow significantly in Indonesia, with a forecasted year-on-year increase of 15% through 2025, driven largely by the digital transformation in financial services (Statista, 2024).
This partnership between BRI and Nium is expected to transform the way Indonesians engage with global financial services, meeting the rising demand for modern payment infrastructure and enhancing the overall experience for BRI’s customers in their international transactions.
About Nium
Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 40 markets. Nium’s growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.
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Fintech PR
Grexie Signchain Launches on November 1st, 2024: Enabling Smart Contract Developers to Bring Off-Chain Data On-Chain with Seamless Gas-Paid Signing
Grexie Signchain enables developers to sign off-chain data into smart contracts, with self-hosted or secure vault signer wallet management.
MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Grexie Limited proudly announces the launch of its innovative smart contract solution, Signchain, on November 1st, 2024. Designed specifically for developers, Signchain introduces a powerful way to bring off-chain data on-chain through user-paid gas fees and secure signing of data into smart contract methods using its extendable smart contract, Signable.
In the growing landscape of blockchain technology, securely managing off-chain data and integrating it into on-chain smart contracts has posed significant challenges for developers. Signchain eliminates these hurdles by offering a robust, gas-efficient system for signing and authenticating data in real-time.
Key Features of Signchain:
1. Seamless Off-Chain to On-Chain Data Integration
Signchain enables developers to securely bring off-chain data on-chain by signing it directly into smart contract methods through user-paid gas fees. This integration ensures that data authenticity is preserved, and its entry into the blockchain remains tamper-proof, streamlining processes for industries relying on real-world data verification. Signchain also supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase, making it easy to pull data from popular off-chain data sources.
2. Extendable Smart Contract – Signable
The core of Signchain’s technology is its extendable smart contract, Signable, which allows developers to customize and build upon existing smart contracts. With Signable, developers can easily implement contract signatures for any data type, offering flexibility across industries from finance to logistics and beyond.
3. Signer Wallet Management
Signchain offers comprehensive signer wallet management as part of its service, empowering developers to manage and authenticate signers effectively. Wallets can either be self-hosted using Signchain’s Docker container for those who prefer their own infrastructure, or they can leverage Signchain’s network of secure vaults for maximum security.
4. Self-Hosted or Managed Service
For developers who want full control of their infrastructure, Signchain provides a self-hosted option via Docker containers, allowing them to deploy the platform on their own servers. Alternatively, developers can opt to use Signchain’s secure vault network, offering a hassle-free solution with enterprise-grade security and wallet management.
5. User-Paid Gas Fees
By integrating a user-paid gas fee model, Signchain allows users to cover the costs of signing and authenticating their data, ensuring the signing process is efficient and doesn’t overburden developers with additional expenses. This makes Signchain an ideal solution for dApps and platforms handling high transaction volumes.
6. Google Sheets, AWS, Firebase Integration with Serverless Model
Signchain supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase in a serverless model, powered by a hosted Sign In With Ethereum (SIWE) implementation provided by Signchain’s API. Developers can simply connect their Google Sheets and configure the contract parameters associated with each column. Signchain will automatically look up the user’s wallet address in the spreadsheet, sign the transaction data, and execute it in the blockchain along with any user-supplied parameters. This creates an easy, efficient way to manage data inputs from off-chain sources without heavy infrastructure setup.
Revolutionizing Smart Contract Workflows
With Signchain, developers now have the tools to handle the complexities of integrating off-chain data into smart contracts. The extendable nature of Signable offers flexibility, allowing developers to cater to various use cases, whether it’s automating financial transactions, supply chain data, or verifying legal agreements.
Tim Behrsin, CEO of Grexie Limited, said, “Signchain is more than just a signing solution—it’s a platform that empowers developers to securely integrate off-chain data into their smart contracts with minimal effort. The flexibility of Signable and our focus on signer wallet management offers developers control and security at every stage of the process.”
Why Signchain Matters
Signchain addresses critical challenges faced by developers, particularly those dealing with off-chain data. By signing data into smart contracts and enabling user-paid gas fees, the platform significantly reduces friction in managing secure, scalable smart contracts. Whether developers need to manage high volumes of data transactions or create bespoke smart contracts, Signchain offers a scalable and secure solution.
In industries like DeFi, real estate, and supply chain management, data integrity and security are paramount. Signchain’s secure vault network and customizable signing workflows allow businesses to handle sensitive information with confidence.
Launch Event and Future Developments
The official launch of Signchain will take place on November 1st, 2024, alongside a virtual event. The event will showcase live demonstrations of Signable, with detailed walkthroughs of the Docker-based self-hosted solution and signer wallet management features. Attendees will also get an exclusive preview of future enhancements, including multi-signature workflows and advanced blockchain network integrations.
About Signchain
Signchain is a cutting-edge platform developed by Grexie Limited, based in Manchester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. Signchain simplifies smart contract development by offering a secure, scalable, and customizable solution for signing and authenticating off-chain data on-chain. Developers can either self-host the solution using Signchain’s Docker container or rely on the network’s secure vault infrastructure. With an emphasis on security, flexibility, and developer experience, Signchain is set to transform how smart contracts handle off-chain data.
For more information, visit signchain.net.
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