Call for Innovative Techniques in Genome Diagnostics.

EuroGentest announces new call for innovative technologies and applications in genome diagnostics

Genetic testing technology is moving at an incredible speed. However, it is often difficult if not impossible for developers to find adequate accredited diagnostic expert sites to conduct proper evaluations. Four years ago, to address this situation, EuroGentest, an EU-funded Network of Excellence, has launched a technology recruitment and evaluation platform offering access to its 100 plus member laboratories across Europe. For that reason, EuroGentest (INDUSTRY Unit) yearly scans the market by an open call requesting research centres and INDUSTRY for their promising new diagnostic technologies. So far several new technologies from various companies have been evaluated in collaboration with the National Genetic Reference Laboratories (NGRL) in the UK. The evaluation results have been presented each year at the EuroGentest (INDUSTRY) Satellite meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference. These projects included evaluation of new mutation scanning methods such as CSCE, HR-MCA but also evaluation of DNA isolation methods and decision-support software tools like Alamut that analysis the potential phenotype of newly found mutations. For more information on evaluation projects, presentations during the previous Satellite meetings or the 'Call for Technology' please visit the EuroGentest Webpage at the INDUSTRY Unit (formerly called Unit 5).

End of May 2009, EuroGentest will again organize their Satellite meeting on ‘Innovative Techniques in Genome Diagnostics' at the ESHG conference in Vienna (Austria). Therefore a new call for innovative technologies in DNA Diagnostics has been released and submissions can be made until March 8, 2009. This year there will also be a focus on new developments in whole genome sequencing and its application in DNA Diagnostics. EuroGentest encourages the submission of new diagnostic applications that use this promising technology.