Startup brings RNA sequencing into the age of big data

EPFL spin-off Alithea Genomics has developed a system that allows scientists to easily tag bulk RNA samples with molecular barcodes so they can be processed by the hundreds in one single tube. The technology promises to dramatically shorten and streamline sample preparation for RNA sequencing, which will enable new applications for this technology, such as biomarker discovery and drug development. RNA sequencing is becoming a key part of the process of developing new drugs and discovering biomarkers, which indicate the presence of certain diseases. Armed with a snapshot of RNA strands - the messengers that carry DNA information - scientists can gradually decode intracellular "language", detect anomalies and learn how to repair them. In order to extract insightful statistics, train artificial intelligence systems to identify abnormalities, and fast-track R&D, a new approach is needed - one that enables the generation of "big RNA data", so that the functional state of thousands of samples can be profiled and compared simultaneously, at a fraction of the time and cost. That's where the technology developed by EPFL spin-off Alithea Genomics comes in. It "tags" RNA strands from hundreds of samples, allowing them to be analyzed in one single tube, instead of hundreds of tubes! This process is 25 times cheaper than conventional methods and reduces the time needed to sequence hundreds of samples from several days to just a few hours.