Tag: United Kingdom

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Advancing Fully Walkaway Automation in Genomics Workflows

SPT Labtech and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s Genomics Core Facility (EMBL GeneCore) in Heidelberg, Germany, agreed to collaborate to advance fully walkaway automated genomics workflows. As part of the collaboration, SPT Labtech’s firefly®+ all-in-one liquid handling platform has been installed at EMBL GeneCore.

Officials at EMBL GeneCore say they will expand the facility’s capacity to develop new protocols and further validate and optimize existing workflows for challenging applications such as low-input and metagenomics samples to support the broader genomics community. The SPT platform is designed to simplify complex genomics workflows, combining pipetting, dispensing, incubating, and shaking technologies into a single instrument.

The automated protocols use New England Biolabs (NEB) library preparation kits, NEBNext®, to generate libraries from a wide input range. According to a SPT spokesperson, the installation of the company’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore, combined with NEB kits, creates strong foundation for fully walkaway automation, enabling more streamlined, end-to-end workflows and supporting labs to scale automation more easily.

“The installation of SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform as part of our collaboration underscores our commitment to remain at the forefront of scientific innovation. Fully walkaway automation will address key bottlenecks in genomics workflows, helping us develop high-quality, scalable NGS protocols,” says Vladimir Benes, head of EMBL GeneCore.

“Our latest collaboration with EMBL GeneCore marks a significant step towards advancing fully walkaway automation, providing end-to-end genomics workflows for a much wider range of applications, including environmental and rare species research,” adds Morten Frost, CCO, SPT Labtech.

“Integration of our library prep kits with SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore creates a compelling opportunity for faster, scalable DNA and RNA-Seq workflows,” notes Bjoern Textor, PhD, sales and senior applications manager, New England Biolabs.

The post Advancing Fully Walkaway Automation in Genomics Workflows appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

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Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of non-suicidal self-injury: a meta-analysis

BackgroundSystematically evaluate the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the risk of Non-suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), thereby providing evidence-based guidance for relevant prevention and early intervention strategies.MethodsA systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, from their inception to 30 November 2025, to identify observational studies reporting associations between ACEs and NSSI. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Effect sizes were pooled using a random-effects model, with association strength expressed as odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Data analysis was conducted using Stata 15.ResultsA total of 13 articles included. The meta-analysis results suggest that physical abuse [OR = 2.38, 95% CI (1.36, 4.16), I2 = 99%], sexual abuse [OR = 1.88, 95% CI (1.24, 2.87), I2 = 94.9%], ACEs≥2 [OR = 3.23, 95% CI (2.62, 3.99), I2 = 89.9%], ACEs≥3 [OR = 6.13, 95% CI (4.07, 9.24), I2 = 96.9%], emotional abuse [OR = 1.65, 95% CI (1.18, 2.32), I2 = 97.9%] may increase the risk of NSSI.ConclusionIn summary, the findings of this meta-analysis suggest that exposure to adverse childhood experiences may be related to an increased likelihood of non-suicidal self-injury. Different forms of childhood adversity, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse, as well as cumulative exposure to multiple ACEs, were associated with higher risks of NSSI.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42026128495.
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Plasma proteomic signature of the human menstrual cycle

Nature Medicine, Published online: 13 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04326-5

This Resource presents a large-scale analysis of nearly 3,000 circulating plasma proteins across the menstrual cycle in over 2,700 women from the UK Biobank, revealing distinct proteomic patterns across menstrual phases. This work sheds light on female reproductive biology and gynecological disorders, and provides a proteomic signature for accurate prediction of the menstrual cycle phase.

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Evaluating an Incentive-Based mHealth App for Physical Activity Promotion Using the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial Model: Small Cohort Study

Background: Physical inactivity remains a public health concern, with 42% (around 1 in 2) of women and 34% (around 1 in 3) of men in the United Kingdom, for example, failing to meet moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guidelines. To promote physical activity (PA) at scale, smartphone-based mHealth (mobile health) software apps offer a promising solution. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an mHealth app offering very small (“micro”) financial incentives for PA in Leeds, United Kingdom. Methods: A 5-week single-arm proof-of-concept study was conducted with rolling recruitment among Caterpillar Health app users between September 12 and December 12, 2022 (Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial model, phase IIa). Users earned microincentives in the form of “points,” redeemable for consumer rewards (eg, movie tickets and gym passes), for meeting personalized daily step goals (US $0.13 per goal achieved; set using data from a 5-day baseline) and completing educational quizzes (US $0.33 per quiz). Descriptive statistics assessed feasibility outcomes (ie, reach, recruitment, retention, engagement, and acceptability) and preliminary effectiveness. Paired-samples tests (<.05) examined changes in weekly mean daily step count (from baseline) and step goal achievement over 5 weeks. Results: Of 285 app downloads, 46 users consented to participate (recruitment rate: 16.1%). Participants (mean age: 39.9, SD 11.1 y; 71.1%, 33/46 woman) had a baseline step count of 5598 (SD 2664) steps/day. A total of 25 participants remained engaged (ie, completed at least 1 quiz) at study week 5 (retention rate: 54.3%). Acceptability was high, with 75% of respondents (12/16) indicating they would recommend the app. Weekly mean daily step count did not significantly increase from baseline (mean difference 317, SD 2273, =.53). Weekly daily step goal achievement rate (%) decreased from study week 1 to 5 (−23.23, SD 22.85, =.02). Conclusions: Despite lower-than-expected recruitment and no statistically significant PA increase, relatively high engagement and acceptability suggest future pilot testing (Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial model, phase IIb) of a refined intervention (eg, wider selection of loyalty reward partners) and modified study protocol (eg, simplified consent process) is warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05294692; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05294692