Amgen acquires Oxford Nanopore
On 10th October, the news broke about Oxford Nanopore that it had established a data analysis apparatus MinIT, and the chip that operates to provide high-throughput genomics research. The MinIT data chip can be controlled with a tablet notebook computer or cellular phone, and it comes preconfigured with applications to conduct sequencing experiments.
With the ability to be powered by an external battery pack, the MinIT can be used outside the lab and in the field–Oxford Nanopore cites cases of researchers on a farm in East Africa identifying pathogens affecting crops, or collecting real-time information aboard marine research vessels.
Additionally, it is compatible with the Flongle, an adapter for the MinION for smaller tests of Oxford Nanopore.
Now Amgen at a Press release announced that it has spent $66 million ( 485 Crores Rupees ) into mobile genome sequencer programmer Oxford Nanopore. The Big Pharma hopes its efforts will be aligned with by the investment in using genomics to notify its drug development.
Its subsidiary, deCode Genetics, has utilized Oxford Nanopore devices to sequence” several hundred” individual genomes, and to help identify and validate new targets. “Oxford Nanopore’s long-read sequencing capacity creates a window to parts
of the genome that have been out of reach, in addition to providing us a much better handle on structural variations that confer risk of a huge array of ailments,” deCode creator Kári Stefánsson stated in an announcement.The proprietary sequencing technology due to which Amgen acquired Oxford Nanopore employs nanoscale holes made by proteins inside a membrane.
Its devices, which vary from pocket-sized to benchtop models, measure changes in electrical current as strands of RNA or DNA pass through the holes.
The Investment on Amgen acquires Oxford Nanopore
For its $66 million investment, Amgen acquired stock at precisely the exact same price offered in Oxford Nanopore’s $140 million increase last March–that valued the company at approximately $2 billion, since it intends to compete with Pacific Biosciences and the sequencing giant Illumina.
See Also: Scientists Develop $2 per gene DIY Sequencing Tech
