Radically different
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Earth Day is next week, meaning it’s time for one of my favorite traditions: listening to the annual 24-hour livestream of a marsh in unceded W̱SÁNEĆ territory in British Columbia.
Minimal residual disease (MRD) continues to be a central focus at the AACR meeting. The small numbers of cancer cells that remain in the body after treatment helps gauge the effectiveness of a treatment and relapse risk. The ability to detect those cells, even in tiny amounts, is an ongoing goal of the cancer community.
At this year’s AACR, the sequencing company Ultima Genomics is announcing new findings in this area using its ppmSeq technology. The data will be presented across six abstracts, including a plenary session.
Highlighting the program will be initial TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) MRD data showcasing performance of ppmSeq relative to ultrasensitive bespoke panels.
TRACERx is a long-term study—one of the largest tumor evolution studies—funded by Cancer Research UK. The program analyzes how cancer evolves, spreads to other parts of the body, and develops resistance to treatments. Instead of taking just one biopsy, researchers sample different parts of the same tumor and metastases; the program involves sequencing multi-region and multi-time-point genetic data from over 3,200 tumor samples from over 800 lung cancer patients.
The data will be presented at a plenary session by Charles Swanton, FRCP, BSc, PhD, professor at The Francis Crick Institute in the U.K. He will present an early validation pilot of ppmSeq across 50 plasma samples—using tumor-specific variants identified from prior whole genome sequencing—achieved high analytical sensitivity for ctDNA detection at low single-digit parts-per-million.
“TRACERx has always followed the science of cancer evolution wherever it leads,” said Swanton. “Improving the sensitivity of ctDNA detection is central to the wider ambition for MRD monitoring, and expanding studies across a broader patient population will give us the statistical power and clinical context to determine how whole genome MRD monitoring can be deployed at NHS scale and beyond.”
Data from collaborators will also be presented at the conference. Labcorp will present data from an independent analytical study of an assay developed in coordination with ppmSeq technology, including the performance across multiple solid tumor types in pre-surgical, treatment-naive plasma samples. This analysis of 120 non-cancerous donor samples showed specificity exceeding 99.9%, underscoring the ability of ppmSeq whole genome sequencing to accurately differentiate between cancerous and non-cancerous samples, minimizing false positives. Additional analysis across three commercially available cancer cell lines spanning 13 concentration levels from 0.5 to 500 parts per million showed a 95% limit of detection below 3 ppm, demonstrating the assay’s capacity to detect ultra-low levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).
“For a long time, the question has been whether you can get truly ultra-sensitive MRD detection from a whole genome approach without all the complexity of bespoke assays,” notes Gilad Almogy, PhD, CEO of Ultima Genomics. “What these AACR data show is that the answer is yes. We’re seeing ppmSeq deliver the level of sensitivity needed to make whole genome MRD practical, scalable, and much easier to deploy globally.”
The post TRACERx MRD Results Showcase ppmSeq’s Ultra-Sensitive ctDNA Detection at AACR appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
There’s a theory that many of us have an “inner Neanderthal.” The idea is that Homo sapiens and a cousin species once bred, leaving some people today with a trace of Neanderthal DNA.
This DNA is arguably the 21st century’s most celebrated discovery in human evolution. But in 2024, a pair of French geneticists called into question the theory’s very foundations.
They proposed that what scientists interpret as interbreeding could instead be explained by population structure—the way genes concentrate in smaller, isolated groups.
Find out what it all means for human evolution.
—Ben Crair
This story is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about nature. Subscribe now to read it when it lands on Wednesday, April 22.
—Uri Maoz
AI is starting to shape real wars. It’s at the center of a legal battle between Anthropic and the Pentagon, playing a growing role in the conflict with Iran, and raising questions about how much humans should remain “in the loop.”
Under Pentagon guidelines, human oversight is meant to provide accountability, context, and security. But the idea of “humans in the loop” is a comforting distraction.
The real danger isn’t that machines will act without oversight; it’s that human overseers have no idea what the machines are actually “thinking.” Thankfully, science may offer a way forward.
Read the full op-ed on the urgent need for new safeguards around AI warfare.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Despite blacklisting Anthropic, the White House wants its new model
Trump officials are negotiating access to Mythos. (Axios)
+ Anthropic said it was too dangerous for a public release. (Bloomberg $)
+ Finance ministers are alarmed about the security risks. (BBC)
+ Anthropic just rolled out a model that’s less risky than Mythos. (CNBC)
+ The Pentagon has pursued a culture war against the company. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Sam Altman’s side hustles have raised conflict-of-interest concerns
His opaque investments could influence decisions at OpenAI. (WSJ $)
+ A jury will soon decide if OpenAI abandoned its founding mission. (Wired $)
+ The company is making a big play for science. (MIT Technology Review)
3 A Starlink outage during drone tests exposed the Pentagon’s SpaceX reliance
It was one of several Navy test disruptions linked to Starlink. (Reuters $)
+ The DoD is also tapping Ford and GM for military innovations.(NYT $)
4 Data center delays threaten to choke AI expansion
40% of this year’s projects are at risk of falling behind schedule. (FT $)
+ Partly because no one wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Alibaba just released its own version of a world model
Happy Oyster is the latest attempt to extend AI’s ability to comprehend physical reality. (SCMP)
+ But they still need to understand cause and effect. (FT $)
6 Google’s Gemini is now generating AI images tailored to personal data
By analyzing users’ Google services and data. (Quartz)
+ Google says it will cut the need for detailed prompts. (TechCrunch)
7 OpenAI is beefing up its agentic coding and development system
Its Codex update is a direct shot at Claude Code. (The Verge)
+ But not everyone is convinced about AI coding. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Europe’s online age verification app is here
It’s available for free to any company that wants it. (Wired $)
9 Smartglasses are giving Korean theaters hope of a K-Pop moment
Their AI-powered translations are taking the shows to the world. (NYT $)
10 Global voice actors are fighting Hollywood’s AI push
Their voices are training the models that are replacing them. (Rest of World)
Quote of the day
—Rob Joyce, former director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, tells Bloomberg how AI is creating new hacking threats.
One More Thing
The race to produce rare earth elements
Access to rare earth elements will determine which countries meet their goals for lowering emissions or generating energy from non-fossil-fuel sources. But some nations, including the US, are worried about the supply of these elements.
China dominates the market, while extraction in the US is limited. As a result, scientists and companies are exploring unconventional sources. Read the full story on their search for critical minerals.
—Mureji Fatunde
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ This ska cover of Rage Against the Machine is an upbeat way to start a revolution.
+ We finally know how far Stretch Armstrong can really stretch.
+ Customize these ambient sounds to wash away disruptive thoughts.
+ Here’s proof childhood dreams can come true: a girl guiding a seal to perform tricks.