https://www.iongenomics.biohttps://www.iongenomics.bio/img/substack.pnghttps://www.iongenomics.bioSubstackSat, 11 Apr 2026 04:00:38 GMThttps://www.iongenomics.bio/p/takara-bio-and-hamilton-partner-tohttps://www.iongenomics.bio/p/takara-bio-and-hamilton-partner-toFri, 10 Apr 2026 21:06:39 GMTTakara Bio USA and Hamilton Company have entered a development and comarketing agreement to develop automated next-generation sequencing library preparation workflows. The deal, announced March 30, centers automation methods for Takara Bio's SMART-Seq library preparation kits on Hamilton’s Microlab STAR Liquid Handling Systems. The first product to receive automation support will be the SMART-Seq mRNA LP kit, which is designed for full-length mRNA-seq library creation. The partners will also automate the SMART-Seq Total RNA Library Prep with ZapR Depletion kit. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed. “The automation of Takara Bio library prep kits allows laboratories, including core facilities, to use our trusted technology as a routine, high-throughput research tool or service,” Carol Lou, President & CEO at Takara Bio USA, said in a statement.]]>https://www.iongenomics.bio/p/cellcarta-pillar-biosciences-partnerhttps://www.iongenomics.bio/p/cellcarta-pillar-biosciences-partnerFri, 10 Apr 2026 18:27:00 GMTCellCarta and Pillar Biosciences announced a global multi-year strategic partnership on April 2 to broaden access to next-generation sequencing tumor profiling for biopharma sponsors and clinical research partners. The collaboration pairs Pillar’s oncoReveal NGS-based kitted panels with CellCarta’s global clinical trial laboratory network. Under the agreement, the companies will focus on indication-relevant tumor profiling with reduced complexity and faster turnaround. The partnership also includes the option to develop custom panels aligned to sponsor programs and is intended to support potential companion diagnostic development. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The partnership aims to address increasing costs oncology trial sponsors face as they fragment into smaller molecular subgroups. The companies said the collaboration will allow sponsors to tailor molecular testing to each study objective rather than defaulting to broader panels when a targeted set of actionable markers is sufficient. CellCarta, headquartered in Montreal with operations in Antwerp, Belgium, provides precision medicine laboratory services for drug development. Pillar Biosciences, based in Natick, Massachusetts, develops NGS-based oncology diagnostics. “Biomarker-driven oncology trials demand testing strategies that are both operationally efficient and aligned with long-term development goals,” Robin Grimwood, SVP of Genomics at CellCarta, said in a statement. “Through our partnership with Pillar Biosciences, we combine their streamlined, rapid workflow with our global laboratory execution and deep companion diagnostics expertise to support faster enrollment and standardized implementation across regions. Importantly, this collaboration enables us to offer highly targeted, indication-specific panels for prospective testing, with the flexibility to develop custom panels aligned to sponsor programs.” Pillar’s panels are built on the company’s SLIMamp chemistry, which it says is designed to make tumor profiling more operationally accessible to laboratories. “By partnering with CellCarta, we can extend that value through a trusted global laboratory network and help sponsors deploy testing strategies that match today’s realities: increasing trial complexity, tighter timelines, and more cost discipline,” Dan Harma, Chief Commercial Officer at Pillar Biosciences, said in a statement.]]>https://www.iongenomics.bio/p/hello-worldhttps://www.iongenomics.bio/p/hello-worldFri, 20 Mar 2026 19:34:53 GMTthis is a test

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