Regio Zuid | Feasibility of new biomarker based diagnostic assay development for early cancer detection

SUMMARY.ENPICOM BV, an innovative bio-informatics company, wants to determine the feasibility of developing bio-informatics technology for measuring and analyzing apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzymes (APOBEC family). The intended new bio-informatics principles will be based on duplex sequencing and machine learning and are needed to refine and accelerate APOBEC mutational pattern analysis in specific human (blood) cells..Existing single strand sequencing technology are not useable in this field; these technologies have an error rate that is too high for the purpose of detecting mutational activity of the APOBEC enzyme family. By using duplex sequencing technology, the error rate can be drastically reduced; however, sequence assembly techniques need to be updated to accommodate the duplex data that is generated by this technology..When new duplex sequencing analysis and machine learning principles are feasible for measuring and analyzing the APOBEC family mutational patterns, ENPICOM can continue in an intensive R&D project in developing this high-performance technology (new to the market)..The feasibility project explores the technical and economic feasibility of the intended R&D project and its deliverables. The main focus is on the technical feasibility of a novel approach of measuring and understanding the presence of mutations in blood cells, for early stage cancer diagnostics. ENPICOM is performing desk research and some early experimental development..Topsectors involved: the project is exploring the feasibility of developing new software and technology in the field of bioinformatics. This fits into the topsector Topsector LSH Life Sciences & Health. More specifically, this fits into the regional priorities of boosting complex systems/technology in a cross-industry approach. The ENPICOM technology enables life sciences companies to accelerate their cell analysis and therapy development: cross-over with the HTSM ICT agenda..The goal is to have a go/no-go decision for the next high risk and costly R&D stage.