COmplete Nucleic acid ANalysis (CONAN) at genome scale with ultra-high throughput

Depxus是一家在剑桥孵化的小型初创企业，该公司正在开发一种创新的新生物技术，用于‘完整的核酸分析’，称为SIMDEQ(单分子磁检测和量化)。SIMDEQ是一项改变游戏规则的技术，它不仅是为了标准的DNA测序，而且还为了揭示DNA和RNA上发现的许多微妙的化学特征(表观遗传碱基修饰)中包含的以前无法破译的信息层。出现的情况是，这些碱基修饰形成了在生物学中发挥许多重要作用的“第二基因组”--从早期胚胎发育到致病防御机制，以及许多癌症的进化。表观遗传学也被证明是植物的一个关键因素，包括许多作物品种，因此对农业有很大影响。目前的测序技术读取这些修饰的能力非常有限。我们革命性的SIMDEQ技术可以以前所未有的精确度和准确度分析单个核酸分子(DNA或RNA)。我们目前的原型仪器非常强大，可以用来产生非常详细的遗传和表观遗传学数据，但样本吞吐量有限。这一雄心勃勃的项目专注于开发一种紧凑、高通量的系统，名为SIMDEQ Digital，该系统基于一种CMOS芯片(就像数码相机中的那些芯片一样)，在该芯片上制造了数百万个可电子寻址的微米级传感器。就像数码相机给摄影领域带来了革命性的变化一样，SIMDEQ Digital技术的发布代表了DNA分析领域的一次不连续的创新。SIMDEQ Digital不仅将使Depxus在现有的价值200亿美元的DNA分析行业中展开竞争，还将在英国和全球范围内为基因和表观遗传分析打开新的市场。及早获得这项技术将提供巨大的商业机会，特别是对英国中小企业来说，他们将帮助开创一个全新的“完整基因组学”生态系统。

Depixus, a small start-up incubating in Cambridge, is developing an innovative new biotechnology for 'complete nucleic acid analysis' called SIMDEQ (SIngle molecule Magnetic DEtection and Quantification). SIMDEQ is a game-changing technology that is being developed not only for standard DNA sequencing, but to also reveal previously undecipherable layers of information contained within the many subtle chemical signatures (epigenetic base modifications) that are found on both DNA and RNA. The emerging picture is that these base modifications form a 'second genome' that plays many vital roles in biology -- from early embryonic development, to pathogenic defence mechanisms, and the evolution of many cancers. Epigenetics has also been shown to be a critical factor in plants, including many crop varieties, and thus has great impact on agriculture. Current sequencing technologies have very limited abilities to read these modifications. Our revolutionary SIMDEQ technology can analyse individual nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA) with unprecedented precision and accuracy. Our current prototype instruments are highly robust and can be used to generate highly detailed genetic and epigenetic data, but have limited sample throughput. This ambitious project focuses on the development of a compact, high-throughput system, known as 'SIMDEQ Digital', based on a CMOS chip (like those in digital cameras) on which many millions of electronically addressable micron-scale sensors are fabricated. Much as digital cameras have revolutionized the field of photography, the release of SIMDEQ Digital technology represents a discontinuous innovation in the world of DNA analysis. SIMDEQ Digital will not only allow Depixus to compete in the existing $20 billion DNA analysis industry, but also to open new markets for genetic and epigenetic analysis, UK-wide and globally. Early access to this technology will provide great business opportunities especially for British SMEs, who will help pioneer an entirely new "complete genomics" ecosystem.