AMP 2024 Annual Meeting

Efficiency is paramount in clinical research laboratories, which play a vital role in developing the feature of healthcare. To ensure the continuity of laboratories, it is essential to carefully manage all aspects of operations, aiming to conserve resources, preserve critical research samples, optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and drive sustained success. Join our workshop to learn how Global Diagnostics Lab optimized lab operations specifically for research workflows and enhanced productivity and overall performance of their lab.

Speaker:
Bente Maria Falang , CEO, Pretect AS

Room: 110

This programme explores the use of in-house ultra-fast next-generation sequencing (NGS) for diagnosing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its potential impact on patient outcomes from the pathologist and oncologist perspectives. Emphasising timely and comprehensive testing for treatment decisions, it discusses the rationale for ultra-fast NGS implementation. Considerations for establishing the protocol, including a multidisciplinary approach, are outlined. It will examine circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) genotyping in metastatic NSCLC at diagnosis and progression, comparing it with tissue biopsy. Guideline recommendations, current genotyping applications, and pre-analytical challenges are reviewed. Case studies highlight successful ctDNA testing with limited tissue availability.

Speakers:
Barbara Melosky, MD, FRCP, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Brandon Sheffield, MD, Diagnostic and Molecular Pathologist, William Osler Health System
Parneet Cheema, MD, FRCP, Mbiotech, Medical Director, Oncology, William Osler Health System

Room: 217-219

Clinical laboratories strive to enhance productivity, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Industry Lab Diagnostic Partners (ILDP) recently completed a technical assessment for molecular testing of SARS-COV-2, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV, ensuring their multiplex assay workflow meets regulatory standards. Troy Evans, ILDP Founder, will discuss the decision-making process and regulatory navigation involved in implementing this workflow, demonstrating its reliability for accurate patient testing.

Speaker:
Troy Evans, Principal, Industry Lab Diagnostic Partners

Room: 110

This workshop will focus on laboratories collaborating with pharmacists to optimize clinical pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing. Participants will learn about the roles all pharmacists should be prepared to perform, and the roles pharmacists with specialized education, training, or experience should assume. Real-world examples of successful pharmacist-laboratory collaborations will be highlighted. 

Speaker:
Becky Winslow, BS, PharmD, CEO, inGENEious RX Incorporated

Room: 110

Analysis of liquid biopsy samples using digital PCR (dPCR) has been proposed to provide fast, accurate, and robust results with high sensitivity. Efficient and accurate sample preparation and analysis helps to play a crucial role in cancer research and optimizing workflows. This presentation will explore the benefits of streamlined, scalable workflows for sample processing and dPCR analysis. We highlight how a simplified dPCR workflow, with throughput flexibility, multiplex capability, and fast turnaround time can support simultaneous detection of mutations with high sensitivity and low false positives, helping to offer an advantage liquid biopsy cancer research.

Speaker:
TBD

Room: 110

Utilizing magnetic hydrogel particle technology for sample preparation has been shown to improve downstream detection by 3- to 10-fold. This technology is effective with challenging sample types and advances research through its versatility and scalability for automation. Key products from Nanotrap® product range for infectious disease research, liquid biopsy and for enriching low-abundance proteins and peptides in biomarker discovery. By leveraging this advanced technology, researchers can achieve more accurate and efficient results, driving significant scientific advancements whilst streamlining their workflow and increasing overall productivity.

Room: 110

This workshop highlights the benefits of complete, end-to-end NGS solutions that are easy, fast, and robust. Hear how a lab was able to perform an analytical validation with Oncomine Precision Assay, a 50 gene amplicon-based panel for rapid, decentralized genomic profiling. Also, learn from an experienced NGS user leveraging a 517 gene CGP panel that detects relevant classes of genomic alterations plus HRD, TMB, and MSI. Discussions about the appropriate panel size are ongoing, gain insights on how labs are optimizing genomic profiling using both small and large panels.

Speakers:
Salvatore F Priore, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Sarah Herlihy, PhD, Assistant Director, Assay Development, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Eric Vail, MD, Director, Molecular Pathology, Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Room: 110

Over recent years there has been a continual expansion in the number of genetic alterations recommended for testing in the analysis of myeloid and lymphoid malignancy samples. Frequently, results are required in under 3-5 days. During this workshop, our speaker will discuss their use of the Ion Torrent™ Genexus™ System, a highly automated next-generation sequencing (NGS) system that can provide results within 24 hours. Targeted assays for myeloid and lymphoid samples enable rapid characterization of a broad range of DNA mutations and RNA fusion transcripts. Additionally, we’ll cover recent updates on highly sensitive NGS-based measurable residual disease (MRD) research.

Speaker:
Robert Baker, Molecular Haematology Operations Manager, Health Services Laboratories

Room: 110

This workshop will highlight the development and implementation of a novel molecular technology with higher multiplexing capacity, enabling simultaneous detection of numerous targets in a single reaction. Designed for central laboratory settings, this unique chemistry offers streamlined workflows using Thermo Fisher Scientific platforms and vastly increased throughput, accuracy and efficiency. SpeeDx’s advanced assay technology presents a cost effective transformative solution for improving central laboratory applications.

Speaker:
Allison Todd, CSO, SpeeDx

Room: 119-120

This workshop will explore the integration of chromosomal microarray and hotspot mutation analysis in solid tumor analysis. This approach enables accurate diagnosis and prognosis by identifying copy number abnormalities, loss of heterozygosity, and specific mutations. Key markers such as 1p/19q co-deletion for oligodendroglioma, 1p/16q loss of heterozygosity for Wilms' tumors, and BRAF fusion/rearrangement and BRAF V600 mutation for pediatric low-grade gliomas are highlighted. Real cases will be showcased, where this integration has provided essential results, enhancing the understanding and management of solid tumors.

Speakers:
Lina Shao, PhD, Clinical Professor of Pathology and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan
Elena Repnikova, PhD, FACMG, Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Missouri, Kansas City  School of Medicine

Room: 110

The evolving landscape of molecular disease analysis underscores the need for innovative tools that offer deeper insights into disease characterization. While genomics and transcriptomics have advanced significantly, the epitranscriptome remains an area with great potential yet to be fully explored. AlidaBio’s EpiPlex™ Library Prep Kit, developed in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific, addresses this gap by providing comprehensive epitranscriptomic profiling.

This workshop will delve into the diagnostic potential of EpiPlex™, its seamless integration with traditional workflows, and its compatibility with various RNA-limited sample types. Participants will also gain insights into the EpiScout™ Analysis Suite, AlidaBio’s user-friendly bioinformatics solution, designed for analyzing epitranscriptomic data across experiments. The collaboration between AlidaBio and Thermo Fisher Scientific exemplifies the synergy in advancing molecular analysis tools to better serve the scientific community.

Speaker:
Andrew Price, PhD, Vice President, R&D, Alida Biosciences

Room: 110

Explore our latest advancements in isolating nucleic acid from precious sample types in hematologic research. In most blood or bone marrow isolations, red blood cell lysis of DNA and RNA extractions are required upfront. Here, we show a novel workflow that reduces the need for tedious red blood cell lysis steps upfront of the sequential DNA/RNA isolation from a single hematologic sample using magnetic bead-based chemistry compatible with automation workflows. Further research with these workflows shows expansion in applications like myeloid cancer research and sensitive genomic research like BCR-ABL monitoring. Learn more on how to increase your lab’s productivity while streamlining workflows with a versatile chemistry that maintains high-quality, high-yielding nucleic acids from blood-derivative sample types for downstream molecular analysis.Speakers:

Speaker:
Karessa Garza, Scientist III, Molecular Biology

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