30 | 04| 13

In seiner heutigen Stellungnahme zur Zukunft der genetischen Diagnostik hat der Deutsche Ethikrat das nicht-invasive Verfahren des PraenaTest®, fetale Chromosomenstörungen aus mütterlichem Blut zu bestimmen, mehrheitlich positiv bewertet. Er betonte unter anderem die Wichtigkeit einer umfassenden Aufklärung und Beratung der Schwangeren unter Wahrung ihres Rechts auf Wissen, Nichtwissen und auf informationelle Selbstbestimmung. Die Mehrheit der Mitglieder des Ethikrates befürwortet die Anwendung des nicht-invasiven Bluttests ausschließlich bei Frauen mit Risikoschwangerschaften. Dabei soll eine weiterführende differenzierende Ultraschalluntersuchung sowie psychosoziale Beratung gewährleistet sein.

In der Stellungnahme fand auch das Rechtsgutachten von Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Hufen Berücksichtigung, welches LifeCodexx in Auftrag gab. Gemäß des Verfassungsrechtlers der Universität Mainz erfüllt der PraenaTest® die Voraussetzungen des Gendiagnostikgesetzes und des Medizinproduktegesetzes. Ein Verbot des Bluttests würde die im Grundgesetz verankerten Rechte der schwangeren Frau verletzen und ihr frühe und schonend zu gewinnende Erkenntnisse verwehren. Denn anders als invasive Verfahren, welche mit einem Fehlgeburtsrisiko einhergehen, schützt die nicht invasive Untersuchungsmethode des PraenaTest® das Leben und die Gesundheit sowohl des ungeborenen Kindes als auch der Mutter. Das vollständige Gutachten in gedruckter Fassung ist in Vorbereitung. Eine Zusammenfassung ist verfügbar.

„Wir sind sehr froh, dass die positive Bewertung des nicht-invasiven pränatalen Verfahrens durch den Deutschen Ethikrat wie auch das Gutachten von Professor Hufen die Rechtmäßigkeit unseres Tests nun bestätigen,“ sagt Dr. Michael Lutz, Vorstand der LifeCodexx AG. „Die neun Empfehlungen des Ethikrats zur Pränataldiagnostik bestärken uns in unserer bisherigen Vorgehensweise, den PraenaTest® über spezialisierte Zentren und qualifizierte Ärzte den betroffenen Frauen zugänglich zu machen. Unsere Erfahrungen seit der Markteinführung zeigen, dass die Ärzteschaft den Bluttest verantwortungsvoll und besonnen zum Wohle ihrer Patientinnen einsetzt.“

Der PraenaTest® ist weltweit der bisher einzige nicht-invasive molekulargenetische Bluttest zur Feststellung der fetalen Trisomien 21, 18 und 13, der als Medizinprodukt und In-Vitro-Diagnostikum in Europa verkehrsfähig ist. Bisher haben sich knapp 3000 Frauen  für die Durchführung des PraenaTest® entschieden. Schon jetzt haben mehrere private und gesetzliche Krankenkassen in Deutschland und in der Schweiz die Kosten für den Bluttest übernommen. In einer klinischen Nachbeobachtungsstudie wird derzeit seine Anwendung vom Universitätsklinikum Bonn evaluiert.

PraenaTest®

Basierend auf dem Einsatz von next generation sequencing Technologien kann der nicht-invasive, molekulargenetische pränatale PraenaTest® aus mütterlichem Blut die fetalen Trisomie 21, 18 und 13 zuverlässig bestimmen. Mit seiner niedrigen Falsch-Positiv-Rate von 0,2% präzisiert er die frühe Fehlbildungsdiagnostik und kann so die Zahl der unnötigen invasiven Untersuchungen bei nicht betroffenen Schwangerschaften reduzieren. Damit ist er eine Ergänzung zur bisherigen nicht-invasiven Pränataldiagnostik, ohne das Risiko einer eingriffsbedingen Fehlgeburt wie bei invasiven Untersuchungsmethoden wie z.B. der Amniozentese. In Übereinstimmung mit den Empfehlungen des Bundesverbands niedergelassener Pränatalmediziner (BVNP), der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Humangenetik (GfH) sowie der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Pränatale Diagnostik (ISPD) sollten positive Testergebnisse durch eine invasive Untersuchung weiter diagnostisch abgeklärt werden. PraenaTest® ist ausschließlich für schwangere Frauen, die sich in der 12. Schwangerschaftswoche oder darüber befinden und welche ein erhöhtes Risiko für chromosomale Veränderungen beim ungeborenen Kind tragen. Weiterhin müssen sich betroffene Frauen in Deutschland gemäß dem Gendiagnostikgesetz sowie den Richtlinien der Gendiagnostik-Kommission durch einen qualifizierten Arzt humangenetisch und ergebnisoffen beraten und aufklären lassen.

LifeCodexx AG

Die LifeCodexx AG ist ein deutsches Life Science Unternehmen, welche sich auf die Entwicklung klinisch validierter molekulargenetischer Diagnostiktests spezialisiert hat und die auf dem Einsatz von next generation sequencing Technologien beruhen. Seit 2011 kooperiert LifeCodexx mit Sequenom, Inc. (USA) auf dem Gebiet der nicht invasiven Pränataldiagnostik.

Pressekontakt:

Elke Decker MSc. MBADirector Strategic Marketing, Communication & Business Administratione.decker(at)lifecodexx.comTel. +49 173 3130 78

The combination of three accredited Next Generation Sequencing platforms under one roof is said to be unique globally. The Pacific Biosciences PacBio RS platform located at GATC Biotech’s headquarter has been officially accredited according to EN ISO/IEC 17025. The accreditation of PacBio RS adds an extensive variety of efficiency and quality to the pre-high-quality fleet of different platforms. Thereby, the company achieves maximum exhaustion of all Next Gen Systems available within its own laboratory.

Being Europe’s first sequencing provider to use the PacBio RS platform, GATC Biotech emphasises its position on the international sequencing market. The third accreditation within one year demonstrates the latest state-of-the-art standards in the company’s methods, technologies and data quality that are pursued by responsible staff members at all times.

As Dr. Marcus Benz, COO of GATC Biotech AG, explains: ”The flexible accreditation of various platforms allows our customers to benefit from the firsthand and experienced support and to rely on an all-time audited international quality standard.”

About GATC Biotech

GATC Biotech is Europe’s leading service provider of DNA sequencing with more than 10.000 academic and industrial customers worldwide. For over two decades, we have offered sequencing and bioinformatics solutions from single samples up to large scale projects. GATC Biotech has sequenced more than 5 million samples, ten thousands of bacterial, plant and other whole genomes as well as hundreds of whole human genomes.

Having Agilent and Illumina Certified Service Provider status, GATC Biotech offers true multiplatform sequencing using all leading sequencing technologies in its own labs. In order to evaluate these immense data quantities professionally, GATC Biotech keeps its own IT farm.

Headquartered in Constance, Germany, the company houses its ISO 17025 certified Genome and Diagnostic Centre with a focus on Next and Third Generation sequencing. The European Custom Sequencing Centre located in Cologne focuses on Sanger Sequencing and serving as the logistical hub within Europe. All laboratories have highly integrated and fully automatic processing pipelines and enable full compliance with latest state-of-the-art quality standards. Since 2010, GATC Biotech has been a key supplier for the International Cancer Genome Project.

GATC Biotech´s subsidiary LifeCodexx emphasises the development of clinically validated molecular diagnostic tests and offers a risk-free alternative to common invasive examination methods such as amniocentesis.

The InView™ De novo Genome service provides a hybrid sequencing approach leading to a high-quality genome assembly via error correction. Ultra-long reads of PacBio RS can be assembled with a very low missmatch rate when correcting them with reads from the GS FLX. This innovative approach shortens the time frame needed for manual curation of the assembly and therefore results in a remarkable saving of costs. The overall efficiency of an entire sequencing and assembly project improves tremendously.

“The combination of extremely long PacBio RS reads and more accurate GS FLX data results in fewer and larger contigs“, tells Dr. Kerstin Stangier, Director Next Gen Sequencing at GATC Biotech. “The joint forces of two technologies now lead to an accurate analysis of the structure, the genetic potential and the content of a genome. At the same time, this approach is faster and more affordable.”

Determining the complete genome sequence of an organism has been a long and complex approach, hence high-quality assemblies are crucial for further downstream analyses, e.g. genome annotation. InView™ now combines streamlined workflows with high quality standards that provide customers worldwide a focused and yet affordable Next Gen Sequencing solution.

The new application helps to understand the genetic basis for phenotypes and to discover metabolic pathways. It also proves that the lower accuracy of the PacBio RS doesn’t have to be a barrier to create high-quality assemblies. The result of fewer and larger contigs gives this application a great advantage in order to achieve a primary sequence of organisms and to facilitate a detailed genetic analysis.

InView De novo Genome

About GATC Biotech

GATC Biotech is Europe’s leading service provider of DNA sequencing. For over two decades the company has offered sequencing and bioinformatics solutions for single samples, transcriptomes and regulomes, up to whole genomes. GATC Biotech offers true multiplatform sequencing using all leading sequencing technologies in its own labs. GATC Biotech’s acknowledged bioinformatics solutions allow high-end data analysis for its customers in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, chemical or food industries as well as in academics. In order to evaluate these immense data quantities professionally, GATC Biotech keeps its own IT farm.

Headquartered in Constance, Germany, the company houses its ISO 17025 certified Genome and Diagnostic Centre with a focus on Next and Third Generation sequencing, having Agilent and Illumina Certified Service Provider status.  Since 2010, GATC Biotech has been a key supplier for the International Cancer Genome Project.  GATC Biotech’s subsidiary LifeCodexx emphasises the development of clinically validated molecular diagnostic tests and offers a risk-free alternative to common invasive examination methods such as amniocentesis.

"With the expansion of the PrenaTest^® to test for the fetal trisomies 13 and 18, it now detects over 90% of all relevant pathological changes caused by autosomal chromosomal disorders," says Dr. Wera Hofmann, CSO of LifeCodexx. "With this test expansion, we fulfilled a key demand of our medical partners."

"In clinical studies that assessed the extended PrenaTest^® more than 99% of all blood samples yielded an accurate result. All cases of trisomy 13 and 18 were correctly classified, "said Dr. Michael Lutz, CEO of LifeCodexx AG. “This clearly shows that the PrenaTest^® is a reliable method for the detection of fetal trisomy."

Since its launch, nearly 2,000 women with pregnancies at risk have opted for the PrenaTest^®. In 98% of the tested blood samples the incidence of fetal trisomy 21 could be excluded and therefore the vast majority of the pregnant women could be relieved. Approximately 1.3% of the analyzed samples carried fetal trisomy 21. The analysis had to be repeated with less than one percent of the blood samples due to a low content of fetal DNA.

According to the European guidelines for medical devices, the PrenaTest^® will now be evaluated in the context of a prospective clinical follow-up study. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. med. Annegret Geipel of the University of Bonn, the study will include 2,000 patients throughout Germany. It is the first follow-up study of this non-invasive molecular genetic method based on next generation sequencing.

About PrenaTest^®

The non-invasive molecular genetic PrenaTest^® is able to detect fetal trisomy 21 with a high degree of accuracy from maternal blood based on the use of next generation sequencing techniques. With its low false positive rate of 0.5% it further clarifies early diagnosis of fetal malformation and therefore reduces the number of unnecessary invasive examinations of non-affected pregnancies. Thus, PrenaTest^® is an innovative non-invasive prenatal diagnostic tool which complements common prenatal examinations, and, in contrast to invasive methods such as amniocenteses, does not carry the risk of procedure-related fetal losses. In accordance with the recommendations of the “ German Association of private physicians of prenatal medicine” (Bundesverband niedergelassener Pränatalmediziner, BVNP), the German Society of Human Genetics (gfh) or the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), positive test results need to be further clarified diagnostically by means of an invasive examination. PrenaTest® is exclusively for pregnant women who are in the 12th week of pregnancy or later and have a risk of trisomy 21 in the unborn child. Furthermore, in Germany, women opting for the PrenaTest^® will need to take unbiased information and genetic counseling as non-directive assistance in their decision making process by a qualified physician in accordance with the German Genetic Diagnostics Act and the guidelines of the Genetic Diagnostic Commission.


About LifeCodexx AG

GATC daughter LifeCodexx AG is a German life science company focusing on the development of clinically validated molecular diagnostic tests based on the use of next generation sequencing techniques. In 2011 the company has partnered with Sequenom, Inc. (USA) for the commercialization of prenatal laboratory testing services in Europe.

Press contact

LifeCodexx

Elke Decker MSc. MBA
Director Strategic Marketing, Communication & Business Administration
e.decker(at)lifecodexx.com
Tel. +49 173 31 30 780

As a partner of the research project EpiFemCare, GATC Biotech will manage sample processing, i.e. the DNA isolation from serum and the reduced representation bisulfite sequencing from serum derived DNA. This method analyses DNA methylation in normal and tumor DNA. 6 institutions from 5 European countries combining the best clinical, scientific and industrial expertise have joined forces to add a new dimension to the treatment of cancer in women. The € 5.8 Mio project from the European Commission will develop and test new methods for screening, diagnosing and personalising treatment of breast and ovarian cancer.

“We are proud of being a partner within the development of a DNA-based blood test that promotes new ways of diagnosing and treating patients with breast or ovarian cancer. The processing of samples in our ISO 17025 certified Genome & Diagnostic Centre is one of our key competences”, comments Peter Pohl, CEO of GATC Biotech AG.

Project Coordinator, Professor Widschwendter, said: “This research project brings together a powerful partnership of major European cancer centres and companies operating state-of-the-art technologies to make a real change for women with breast and ovarian cancers.”

This innovative, collaborative research project is led by Professor Martin Widschwendter from the Department of Women’s Cancer at the University College London. Collaborators include Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), Ludwig Maximilians University (Munich, Germany), and companies with expertise in epigenetics and next generation screening (GATC Biotech, Germany) and managing and analysing the large volumes of data created by these experiments (Genedata, Switzerland).

Breast and ovarian cancers pose huge and unsolved challenges to the medical profession. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the EU: more than 332,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and a woman dies every 6 minutes from this disease.

Ovarian cancer, whilst far less common than breast cancer, is often diagnosed when the disease is at an advanced stage and has spread to other areas of the body resulting in poor prognosis. More than 60% of ovarian cancer patients die within the first 5 years after diagnosis.

Implementation of successful screening programs has dramatically reduced the number of women dying from cervical cancer. Similarly, the EpiFemCare project aims to reduce by 50% the number of women who receive a diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer when that cancer is already advanced, reduce by 50% the number of women who receive unnecessary long-term chemotherapy, and reduce the number of women dying from these female cancers by 20%.

The EpiFemCare project is partially funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP

Over the coming weeks, the PrenaTest® will also be launched in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia as well as in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India.

For all countries, LifeCodexx closed cooperation agreements with experienced laboratory service and in-vitro-diagnostic providers which will support and provide the PrenaTest^® to qualified practices and clinics in the respective countries. Addresses of partnering practices and clinics can be found on LifeCodexx' website. The list will be constantly updated.

“Many women with risk pregnancies for fetal aneuploidies such as trisomy 21 have a strong interest in the PrenaTest^®. This is what we learned since we launched the test three months ago. Together with our clinical partners we are now able to provide our non-invasive molecular genetic blood test to these women in their own countries,” said Dr. Michael Lutz, CEO of LifeCodexx AG. “One important aspect is that our blood test is in full compliance with the high quality standards of the In-Vitro Diagnostics Directive of the European Union.”

The PrenaTest^® is the only non-invasive molecular genetic blood test for the detection of fetal trisomy 21 in Europe, which has successfully completed the conformity assessment procedures required for CE marking, thus proven its efficiency in terms of the in-vitro diagnostics directive of the European Union. In the first three months after market launch in August 2012, around 1,000 PrenaTest® analyses had already been carried out. Early 2013 LifeCodexx’ blood test will be able to detect trisomy 13 and 18, too. As required by law, the new test extension has also been developed in accordance with the European In Vitro Diagnostic Directive and will include CE marking of the data analysis pipeline.

About PrenaTest^®

The non-invasive molecular genetic PrenaTest® is able to detect fetal trisomy 21 with a high degree of accuracy from maternal blood based on the use of next generation sequencing techniques. With its low false positive rate of 0.5% it further clarifies early diagnosis of fetal malformation and therefore reduces the number of unnecessary invasive examinations of non-affected pregnancies. Thus, PrenaTest® is an innovative non-invasive prenatal diagnostic tool which complements common prenatal examinations, and, in contrast to invasive methods such as amniocenteses, does not carry the risk of procedure-related fetal losses.

In accordance with the recommendations of the “ German Association of private physicians of prenatal medicine” (Bundesverband niedergelassener Pränatalmediziner, BVNP), the German Society of Human Genetics (gfh) or the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), positive test results need to be further clarified diagnostically by means of an invasive examination. PrenaTest® is exclusively for pregnant women who are in the 12th week of pregnancy or later and have a risk of trisomy 21 in the unborn child. Furthermore, in Germany, women opting for the PrenaTest® will need to take unbiased information and genetic counseling as non-directive assistance in their decision making process by a qualified physician in accordance with the German Genetic Diagnostics Act and the guidelines of the Genetic Diagnostic Commission.

About LifeCodexx AG

GATC daughter LifeCodexx AG is a German life science company focusing on the development of clinically validated molecular diagnostic tests based on the use of next generation sequencing techniques. In 2011 the company has partnered with Sequenom, Inc. (USA) for the commercialization of prenatal laboratory testing services in Europe.

Being the first in Europe, the Next Generation Sequencing Laboratories of the Constance Genome and Diagnostics Centre has been accredited according to ISO 17025 from the national accreditation body for the Federal Republic of Germany (DAkks). The independent governmental institution has acknowledged the high quality standard of the sequencing service on technology platforms Illumina HiSeq and Roche GSFLX sequencing.

“As an accredited service provider we assure our customers the latest state-of-the-art standards in our methods, technologies and data quality at all times. This is especially important to our customers from the industry or diagnostics. A reliable and continuously high quality of the analysis service is of great importance to them. The accreditation allows all customers to compare the quality of service providers on the international sequencing market”, explains Dr. Marcus Benz, COO of GATC Biotech AG.

“While inspecting the laboratories, we met a very qualified and motivated team that has developed a high competency for the complex analysis. Apart from the staff and the excellent equipment, the LIMS system has to be highlighted. This in-house developed software system allows a wide monitoring of the processes and contributes especially to internal quality management”, says the DAkkS expert.

Since June 2012, the accreditation according to ISO 17025 has been official and has been confirmed by extensive audits. The Genome and Diagnostics Centre of GATC Biotech in Constance meets essential requirements for the competence of analysis and calibration laboratories such as DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025, DIN EN ISO 9001 and all further conditions. The compliance of standards is monitored by the DAkkS regularly.

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In the first three months after market launch, close to 1,000 pregnant women have opted for the PrenaTest ^®, Europe’s first non-invasive molecular genetic blood test for the detection of fetal trisomy 21. All of them were at risk for trisomy 21 in the unborn child. The pregnant women were mainly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also from other European countries. Meanwhile over 150 qualified prenatal practices and clinics in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are now offering the PrenaTest®, more than twice as many as in August this year. Several private health insurance companies in Germany have already reimbursed the cost for the PrenaTest^®.

Evaluation of all PrenaTest^® analyses carried out to date shows that the vast majority of 97 % of the tested women could be relieved with regard to the presence of trisomy 21 in their unborn child. Only 1.5 % of the analyzed blood samples carried fetal trisomy 21. As far as known, these positive results have been confirmed by amniocentesis in accordance with the recommendations of the Bundesverband niedergelassener Pränatalmediziner (BVNP), the German Society of Human Genetics (gfh) as well as the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD). Another 1.5 % of the blood samples could initially not be reported primarily due to a low amount of cell-free fetal DNA.

„These results clearly show how useful the PrenaTest^®is in particular as a complement to the first trimester screening, because significantly less women actually need to undergo invasive testing and could be relieved quite early during their pregnancy,” said Dr. Wera Hofmann, Chief Scientific Officer of LifeCodexx AG. "Having this new method now established as a high quality lab routine process, we are currently working hard to further reduce the turnaround time between sample receipt and reporting. We aim to give the patient clarity as quickly as possible.”

"The number of blood tests carried out until now shows that physicians increasingly trust the PrenaTest^®as a guidance for the woman for or against an invasive diagnostic procedure," said Dr. Michael Lutz, Chief Executive Officer of LifeCodexx AG. "Soon the test will be able to reliably detect trisomies 13 and 18, too. Then the physician will be able to detect the three most common types of autosomal trisomy without any risk for the pregnant woman and her unborn child."

The PrenaTest^® is the only non-invasive molecular genetic blood test for the detection of fetal trisomy 21 in Europe, which has successfully completed the conformity assessment procedures required for CE marking, thus proven its efficiency in terms of the in-vitro diagnostics directive of the European Union. LifeCodexx is currently evaluating the expansion of test availability to other countries of the European Union.

In collaboration with the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne GATC Biotech AG has decoded the genome of the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum. The recently published results show that gene expression plays a decisive role in plant disease. With this knowledge the international project aims to improve plant protection from this pest.

Colletotrichum is a genus of pathogenic fungi, comprising about 680 species, affecting agricultural and horticultural crops with varying disease mechanisms. The fungus can be transmitted by wind or water and causes diseases such as stem rot or leaf spot disease. In agriculture the fungus causes an economic damage reaching billions of Euros.

Since 2008 an international team of scientists has been involved in the project. Throughout the process, genome and transcriptome of Colletotrichum higginsianum have been decoded and analyzed. For the first time in-depth knowledge of the transcriptome has provided information about timing and location of the expression of genes critical to the infection process.

The study revealed that the life of the pathogen determines gene features and gene expression. “The high quality of the sequencing has allowed us to obtain these remarkable insights“, tells Dr. Richard O’Connell, Head of the project. These insights are said to be of fundamental importance for future rational plant breeding und the research into finding methods for reducing the effects of this pathogen.

“It was a pleasure to work with Richard and the MPI team to produce the data and assemble the C. higginsianum genome. The extensive use of Next Gen sequencing technologies, at that time still early in their development, and only a minimum of the standard Sanger technology made this project a challenge and very rewarding to complete“, states Dr. Christopher Bauser, Senior Scientific Project Specialist of GATC Biotech.

The challenge of sequencing has been the broad usage of different DNA preparation methods and sequencing technologies. The raw data have been assembled de novo without comparison to a similar reference genome. GATC Biotech provided data using the Next Gen Sequencing technologies Roche GS FLX and Illumina HiSeq 2000.

Publication of the research project: Richard J. O’Connell et al. Lifestyle transitions in plant pathogenic Colletotrichum fungi deciphered by genome and transcriptome analyses. Nature Genetics, 12. August 2012, DOI: 10.1038/ng.2372 www.mpipz.mpg.de/56866/Colletotrichum_higginsianum

Seven European research institutions and GATC Biotech have formed a consortium providing cutting-edge training in the scientific study of the human past. The BEAN (Bridging the European and Anatolian Neolithic) Initial Training Network has been awarded four years of funding from the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions program.

The BEAN network will provide state-of-the-art training to early-stage researchers in the allied fields of genomics, demography, computer simulations and modelling, physical anthropology, and archaeology in the context of an integrated research program investigating the genetic and cultural ancestry of modern Europeans, and the origins of settled farming life in Europe. The BEAN consortium will augment its research into European prehistory with modern technological innovation through its partnership with German biotech firm GATC Biotech, where early-stage researchers will develop next-generation genomics methods optimized for the study of ancient DNA.

The BEAN network takes a multidisciplinary and international approach, focusing on demographic questions surrounding the dissemination of the cultural, technological, and biological components of the Neolithic from western Anatolia and the Balkans to the rest of Europe. The term ‘Neolithic’ refers to a novel human lifeway centred on crop and animal domestication and the construction of permanent settlements with special-use buildings. The transition from mobile foraging to sedentary farming first occurred around 11,000 years ago in the Near East with the cultivation of several edible grasses and legumes and the domestication of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, and spread throughout southwest Asia, reaching Europe by 8,500 years ago. The BEAN team will be tracking the movement of people and their domesticates from western Anatolia and south Eastern Europe throughout the European continent.

The BEAN network is a transnational effort incorporating specialists from different regions and scientific disciplines: nine independent but interrelated scientific projects will explore various facets of the transition to agriculture in Europe, including the cultural artefacts associated with the arrival of agriculture, the physical and genetic
characteristics of the first farmers, and the interplay of foraging and early farming communities in Europe. According to BEAN organiser Joachim Burger of JGU Mainz, “The Marie Curie International Training Networks are an excellent way of concentrating some of the most promising European research talent on one of the crucial questions in human prehistory.”

GATC Biotech’s scientific involvement within the BEAN project focuses on next generation sequencing of extremely small amounts of ancient DNA originating from archeological material and bioinformatics analysis. In the course of the project, GATC Biotech will provide the opportunity to acquire in depth knowledge in related laboratory and bioinformatics methods to one researcher. Furthermore, managing projects in an international business environment will be included. ‘’We are very pleased to contribute our leading edge competence in next-generation sequencing, sample preparation and raw data analysis in close collaboration with scientific European partners of high reputation. This will promote the education of young talented scientists.’’ states Dr. Tobias Paprotka, Head of Development.

In addition to scientific training, the eight doctoral candidates and two postdoctoral researchers of the BEAN network will have the opportunity to develop marketable business and management skills through internships offered by the network’s private and public sector Associate Partners, which include the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), OTI Holding Company, and Springer Publishing, as well as the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Aegean University. “It is vital that the upcoming generation of European scientists are prepared to leverage their research skills in careers outside of academia” explains BEAN researcher Mark Thomas of the University College London.

The BEAN project (Bridging the European and Anatolian Neolithic: demography and lifestyle at the advent of civilization) is an Initial Training Network sponsored by the European Union, and coordinated by Prof. Dr Joachim Burger of JGU Mainz. In addition to JGU Mainz, the Full Partners of the network are the University of Belgrade, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), GATC Biotech AG, the University of Geneva, the University of Istanbul, the University College London, and Trinity College Dublin.

GATC Biotech website: www.gatc-biotech.com
BEAN website: https://sites.google.com/site/beanresearchnetwork/