Dovetail Genomics Introduces Its First Commercial Service for Analysis of Human Genomes

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Feb. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dovetail Genomics™, the industry leader in the use of proximity ligation and advanced informatics for genomic solutions, today announced it is enabling new areas of human disease research with the introduction of Dovetail Hi-C and Fix-C with Selva™ SV Detection Software as a Service. In an industry first, the company is leveraging its proven proximity ligation technology to enable researchers to better understand human disease through the 3-D structure of the genome. Applications of the technique range from oncology and undiagnosed disease research, to retrospective analysis of clinical trials.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples comprise one of the most challenging yet widespread types of cancer samples worldwide. These samples experience significant degradation of DNA, making it difficult or impossible to conduct broad interrogations of clinically important large-scale structural rearrangements. Dovetail's Fix-C enables researchers, for the first time, to successfully recapture genome-wide long-range information even in these problematic sample types, resulting in a more comprehensive view of genetic variation and, as a result, improved understanding of disease causes and progression. Dovetail Hi-C, in turn, enables the same information to be gleaned from non-FFPE samples.

"Our goal is to enable breakthrough discoveries in human disease research by significantly expanding the view of the human genome," said Dovetail CEO Todd Dickinson. "Until today, our business has primarily been focused on providing the highest quality genome assemblies to the plant and animal communities. With this new service, and the many advances that will follow throughout the year, we are delighted to be able to bring the same long-range genomic insights to bear on human health."

The company also announced that it is now accepting a limited number of customers into its Early Access Development Program for TAD Analysis, an application of the Dovetail Hi-C data type that enables researchers to evaluate the three-dimensional structure of the genome and genome folding. 

"We are excited at the findings we have made through early access to the Dovetail FixC and Selva tools. We have validated existing findings and discovered new structural variants that we suspected but have been unable to see, using any other tool. This technology is showing great promise in allowing us to discover variants that will have an impact on human health," said Arul M. Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, S.P. Hicks Endowed Professor of Pathology and Urology, American Cancer Society Research Professor, and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Additionally, Helio Costa, Ph.D., Instructor of Pathology and Biomedical Data Science and Geneticist and Assistant Lab Director in Molecular Pathology at Stanford, will discuss the new technique at AGBT 2018 on February 13, during the Cancer Concurrent Session, in a talk entitled, "Structural variation detection and in silico long range phasing from FFPE tumor tissue."

About Dovetail
Dovetail Genomics LLC is transforming genomics by making long-range information readily accessible to all. The company enables researchers and clinicians to solve complex problems involving de novo assembly, structural variation, microbiome analysis, cancer research, phasing analysis and more by providing them a more comprehensive view of the genome. Its proprietary in vitro proximity ligation approach and assembly algorithms simplify genomic discovery by integrating the highest quality long-range genomic information with next-gen sequencing output. Dovetail is based in Santa Cruz, California. For more information on Dovetail, its technology, and service offerings, visit dovetailgenomics.com. Follow Dovetail on Twitter @DTGenomics.

SOURCE Dovetail Genomics LLC

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